


Of A King's Knight and Tears

by AssassinNumber9



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Falling In Love, Multi, Original Character(s), Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 44,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23615278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssassinNumber9/pseuds/AssassinNumber9
Summary: Diarmuid, an Irish lancer, has his fate decided upon when he chooses to walk the same path as his fallen father and his brother, Cu Chulainn - the path of a true knight. But unlike his kin however, he won't be a normal knight but a king's, a king who never sheds a tear. But as the two grow closer and war lingers the nation, will a cry finally be heard from the king and her knight?
Relationships: Cú Chulainn | Lancer/Jeanne d'Arc, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne | Lancer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Guinevere (Fate)/Lancelot of the Lake | Saber
Comments: 1





	1. A Hope for a Warrior's Fate

_**Of A King's Knight and Tears** _

**Part 1 – Of A King's Knight**

_**Chapter 1 – A Hope for a Warrior's Fate** _

_Listen here, Son,_

_I will tell you this for future reference._

_Do not falter,_

_Do not cry,_

_Do not shed one single tear,_

_You must stay strong._

_For your country and all your loved ones,_

_Keep your head held high with your blade in your hand._

The unpleasant sound of a kick to the side sounded within the room and with it came the clatter of a weapon and the armor of a soldier. The man who had fallen down looked up at his elder brother, who had his head held high and held his demonic spear, Gae Bolg, which was given to him by his own master in his left hand. He had both a distressed and determined look. " _I won't lose you yet, so don't you dare die in that arena. Make both me and our old man proud. Prove to him that his faith in you was not wasted."_

"You did not stand sturdy, Diarmuid. You let your guard down. Have some confidence, but don't have so much that it lowers your guard. Remember, I'll be watching you as well as a full coliseum of people from all over coming here to see this event take place. Don't make this trip become a waste of time", the blue-haired male told his younger sibling. The raven-haired male, Diarmuid, stood up and got back into his unique battle stance, breathing hard from exhaustion. This did not go unnoticed by his older brother. "Take a break, Dia. I don't want you being too tired for the fight."

Diarmuid basically fell onto the bench that leaned against the wall. He reached down for the water-filled canteen and nearly chugged the entire thing. Pulling it away from his mouth to make sure to save some for later, he looked at his brother, who he knew was nervous for the man was not sitting beside him on the bench but pacing back and forth. "Take a seat, and calm yourself, Brother. It is not as if you are the one going into that arena and putting on a good show for this land's king", the lancer said to sooth his brother's nerves. The ruby-eyed man stopped pacing and looked towards his kin.

"Diarmuid", he sighed, as he did as Diarmuid had said and sat down beside him. "At this moment in time, there will never be a time where I don't stop worrying about you. You are all that I have left. I have no wife, no children. The only things I possess that are truly dear to me are my lance, my comrades, and you - and with that, you are the most important out of all of those things. And here you are now, waiting to go into an arena where both fate and death await. And at this moment in time, your life will be decided. Your route of living will be unlocked, and all we can do is wait for the moment to arrive at a heart-shattering rate."

Diarmuid aimed his amber eyes towards the man. "And you think that I do not worry about you when I hear that you will enter a dangerous battle? Because, I do. You have no idea how tormenting it is to wait for you to come back from a battle. And not only that, but I have to prove myself that I am worthy of being your brother. I mean, you're the great Cu Chulainn Ua Duibhne, the renowned warrior who won in a fight with a dog who had the strength of one hundred men. I cannot allow myself to simply be your shadow. I have to create my own fate and give myself a name that will be remembered throughout history just as you did."

Cu looked towards Diarmuid, his face in his hands. He stood up, frustration and anger present in his action. "But, I didn't want you to follow my fate, Dia! The life of a true warrior is only for the ones who are ready! You will see things that you will never even _want_ to see, not even _think_ to see. You will see your comrades, your friends, have their lives sucked out of them right in front of you! Is that what you truly want?" he yelled at his brother.

"That's why I'll protect them!" Diarmuid retorted. He spoke lightly, "I mean, that's what you've always taught me - to protect everyone who is on your side, your comrades, your friends, your family. And please, Brother." The handsome male stood up and gave Cu a reassuring look that told him not to worry. "Don't worry about me dying. I'm ready. You have to trust me on this. I'm ready to become a real warrior."

Cu gave him a sad look, as if he wanted to believe what his brother told him but couldn't trust in his words. "I know you're ready, Dia. Scathach taught me everything she knew, and I taught you everything I know. I just don't want to lose you, like I lost some of my other comrades. Just please, be careful out there. At this point, I don't care if you succeed or fail in the goal that they will give. I only care about you being able to come back home." His voice was a whisper, honest and true. Knowing that Diarmuid was ready, he also knew that Diarmuid had to go seek out his own future soon. Diarmuid pointed his vision to the ground; he could barely look Cu in the eyes.

He felt two hands grab his shoulders. "Look at me, Diarmuid." The younger one looked up at the elder one. "I want you to come back. If someone is being attacked and they seem like they won't be able to defeat the enemy they face alone, then help them, but make sure that it won't cause your death. And please if you want to make me proud, do this in the name of Ireland and do your best to get a position inside the castle. Yes, I don't care if you get one or not so long as you live, but if you are really set on becoming a warrior here in Britain then accomplish the goal." A stern voice escaped Cu's lips. A moment like this was rare. Cu was more of a fun, quirky person, but there were also times where he was the most serious person Diarmuid knew.

Diarmuid nodded in response, a serious expression on his face. "Thank you, Brother. Thank you for allowing me to come here and participate in this fight...and everything else that you've done for me", he stated, finally putting on a smile. Cu let go of his brother's shoulders and nodded with a smile.

"You're welcome, Dia. Now, go meet the comrades you will be fighting with in the arena, and stay true to what you believe in. Whenever the enemy comes out, make sure you help protect your allies. Even if you are not victorious at the end, you will be victorious to everyone who you protected."

Diarmuid nodded. Cu sighed, still not sure if he really wanted to let his younger brother to fight in a battle such as this one. But, he knew it was too late now. The two gave each other a hug, ready for anything that would happen. The blue-clad Irishman breathed unsteady breaths. Each minute felt like an hour. The two pulled away from each other, and the famed warrior of Ireland pat his brother on the shoulder. "Stay safe", he told Diarmuid before walking out of the room to make his way towards the standing area for all of the mentors, friends, and family members of the knights who were participating in the event.

The handsome Irishman watched, as his brother left. He could hear the metallic clacks of Gae Bolg hitting the floor, as Cu walked through the halls, now out of his sight. Diarmuid stood there for a moment, embracing himself for what was going to happen in a moment, and proceeded to turn the other way and grab his swords and lances. Finally leaving the room, he steadied his breaths to ease his nervousness and continued on to where he was assigned to go once ready, the direction opposite of Cu.

He tried to shake his brother out of his mind but with no success. Cu had always protected him after their father passed away in battle, but soon it would end. He would need no more protection. He would need no more aid in fighting and defending.

Suddenly, he bumped into someone, for he was not paying attention to what was ahead of him. It was hard to when that route could potentially hold his death. The sound of armor clattering against the floor sounded just as it had done when Diarmuid was kicked to the ground by his brother during his training only moments before.

He looked down to only be surprised by the slim figure on the ground. Blonde hair tied up into a bun, armor covering a dress, and a sheathed sword at her side – a small woman could be seen. Diarmuid was surprised to see a woman such as the one in front of him, who looked like she was only five feet tall, in such attire.

The young Irishman shook his head to escape his daze and offered the female a hand. She looked up at him with a serious look and after a moment's hesitation took it politely, standing up as he helped her. "I am very sorry. I was not paying attention. I am quite stressed right now", the woman apologized. Her voice was low and beautiful, very distinct.

"No, that was my fault, milady. I did not mean to make you fall. I was just making my way to the preparation room", Diarmuid explained calmly. The blonde looked up at him.

"So, you are one of the many knights who traveled here to Britain to become a warrior?" she questioned, a smile appearing on her face. The muscular twenty year old nodded his head and returned her kind gesture.

"I am. I am just rather nervous to get up in front of the king and everyone in the coliseum but mostly the king. I am afraid that I will not accomplish the goal he asks of the knights and not prove to him that I am worthy as a knight and not worthy to become a warrior."

"Ah, I understand, but there is no need for being nervous in front of the king. I promise you. If you just do what's right and what you believe in, then you should be fine. And if your skill proves to be impressive, then there is no doubt in my mind that you will be able to become a warrior for the king. So please, do not distress yourself. There is absolutely nothing to be worried about. Yes, the enemies will be tough ones, but if you are strong enough to become a warrior for the king then there is no reason to worry", the short one informed him. Diarmuid smiled and gave her a small bow.

"Thank you, milady. That really helped in calming me", he thanked her. Her smile widened a bit. He then realized something. "Oh, my apologies, milady. I never introduced myself. My name is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. I am a knight of Ireland."

"It is lovely meeting you, Diarmuid. I am Arturia", the blue and silver-clad woman introduced. Arturia then gave him an odd look. "I'm sorry, but do you happen to be related to Cu Chulainn Ua Duibhne?"

"Yes, I am. He is my elder brother in fact. He was the one who taught me everything I know", the knight answered her. Arturia gave him a satisfied smile, as she was happy to hear his statement.

"I see. Well if he was the one to teach you, then I am more than positive that you will be alright in your upcoming battle", she told him, confidence in her tone. Diarmuid smiled down at her and bowed once more.

"My thanks, Lady Arturia", he said. Arturia nodded in response.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard sounding behind the woman. The man dressed in dark green looked towards the sound and saw a tall woman with demonic red eyes and strawberry-blonde hair. She was an odd woman, very beautiful, but odd all the same. A deadly curse roamed in her left arm, but she did not seem possessed. She seemed familiar, but Diarmuid could not place his finger on such a woman. "Arturia, it's time." It was all she said to the blonde she was looking towards.

"Ah, so you will be the one escorting me?" Arturia asked her in a friendly voice. The strange woman simply nodded in reply, no smile upon her lips or happiness radiated from her whatsoever.

"Alright", the short woman stated before turning her attention back to Diarmuid. "It seems that I must excuse myself now, Diarmuid. I wish you all the best in the arena."

"Of course, I will see you again if fate approves of it", he smiled, as he bowed to her once again.

"Of course", Arturia agreed before turning and walking towards the other woman. Suddenly, she looked towards the Irish lancer once more. "Do not disappoint me, knight of Ireland." The man's eyes widened, as he saw her turn back to where she was heading. Did that statement mean something?

Arturia and her escort disappeared once they turned and started through a different hall. All Diarmuid could do was be confused. She sounded as if she was the one judging the knights who were scheduled to fight in the coliseum, but that was impossible. She was a woman after all, and the one who was judging the knights was none other than the King of Britain himself. So, why did she speak to him the way she did? Most people would simply say good luck, as she had done before she turned around for the first time, but then the woman turned back around and told him to not disappoint her as if she was commanding him to not let her down.

The knight shook his head, trying to regain his composure and trying to exit his daze. _Do not think about it until after your battle. You need to think about that first. You need to survive. You need to survive for Cu, your father, and your future. You need to become a warrior, not stay a simple knight for hire like a mercenary. You need to become a part of an actual army and receive an actual title. Yes, just continue to follow this hallway, and you will reach fate soon._

And with that, Diarmuid did as he told himself to do. He continued to follow the hallway in front of him, until he finally reached the door that led to the preparation room, where all of his temporary allies were located. He took a deep breath in to calm his once-again-rising nerves. The words of his new acquaintance had calmed him a little bit, but now that he was entering the room and seeing the other knights his nerves were once again escalating.

He walked through the doorway to only see about thirty other knights in front of him. "Ah finally, here's the last one. Welcome, friend", an orange-haired man welcomed, as he walked up to the handsome male. He was a few inches shorter than Diarmuid and was clad in yellow and black armor, the colors of the nation of Liken, the country northeast of Katanta. "The names Ottoman Erikin, knight of Liken", he introduced.

"Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, knight of Ireland", replied the other male. "I never thought that a warrior from Liken would come here to seek out a position in the British army. I thought they were at a time of peace and complete neutrality."

"They are, which is why I came here with my brother to seek a future as a warrior", Ottoman explained.

"Ah, I understand. So, you came here with your brother as well?"

"That's correct. Zeon's his name. Your brother?"

"Cu Chulainn", the taller of the two answered. Ottoman gave Diarmuid a surprised look. His jaw dropped, as he realized that his new friend was being serious.

"Your brother...is Cu Chulainn? As in, the man who defeated Culainn's hound, the dog with the strength of one hundred men? He's here, and he came with you to watch our battle?" The Irishman nodded in response.

"Haha yep, that's my brother."

"Oh my god! After this is all over, can I meet him? I've always heard stories from my kin and comrades about his strength and power in battle! He's the reason why I'm doing this!" Ottoman exclaimed excitedly.

"Haha yeah, you can meet him after this is over", Diarmuid told Ottoman.

"Oh my god, man! You're the absolute best!" the orange-haired knight said. Diarmuid chuckled at him for a moment before their conversation was cut short when two British knights barged into the room, followed by roughly the same amount of men as the number of simple knights in the room. They were most certainly warriors from the army, and both of them reminded Diarmuid of Arturia whom he had met in the hall earlier. One had blonde hair and blue eyes, while the other possessed the same traits as Arturia – blonde hair and green eyes. "These must be the men that will bring us to the entrances", commented Ottoman.

Just as the Likenian knight had guessed, the men who had arrived in the room were sent to escort the fighters to the entrances that they would use when entering the arena. The knights were arranged in alphabetical order which meant that Diarmuid and Ottoman were going to be placed conveniently right next to each other. Diarmuid's name was called before Ottoman's, and the man that called his name was the man with the blue eyes that had barged in and ordered everyone quiet.

The amber-eyed male gave Ottoman, who had bright green eyes, a small wave good-bye, before he left. Ottoman then gave Diarmuid a thumbs up, which the Irishman politely returned, as a gesture of good luck. Diarmuid then followed the man down the hallways toward his entrance, which was quite a bit away from the preparation room.

"My apologies, but what's your name again?" the crystal-eyed male asked to break the silence between the two.

"Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, and yours?"

"Gawain", he answered simply. "Hmm, you sound familiar. Are you related to any renowned warriors?" Diarmuid nodded.

"My father was Lugh Ua Duibhne, and my brother is Cu Chulainn Ua Duibhne", he answered. Gawain gave a small smile and nodded.

"I thought your last name sounded familiar. Well, here we are. You'll know when to enter", the blonde explained. "Good luck out there."

"Thank you", Diarmuid bowed. He then heard a rather familiar sounding voice coming from the arena. Thinking that it was most likely his imagination, he walked up to the entrance. There was no door. It was just an opening. So, it allowed the Irish knight to see just how many people were in the coliseum. His eyes widened in shock. The whole coliseum was full.

His heart started beating faster and faster, adrenaline levels rising. And then he heard it, the introduction to the knights fighting in the battle. And he kept telling himself that the voice that spoke out was a trick of the mind, even though he continued on hearing it. It was low and beautiful, very distinct, but it could be anybody's voice. Diarmuid quickly stepped back into reality and walked into the arena that was brightly-lit and heated by the afternoon sun. _Here it is, Diarmuid. The battle that will decide your fate is here,_ he thought to himself. _Your fate will finally be decided._ And finally, the light of the arena engulfed him, making him present to all who sat watching in the seats.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I actually wrote this story when I was 15. I'm 20 now. So, it's really weird to me to see my old notes saying that Diarmuid is 20 in this story. So, uh, yeah. Btw, this story is on fanfiction, and I'm just reposting it on here. I just like Ao3 better. I feel like it's easier for readers. Don't know why. Anyway, sorry it took so long for me to not be lazy and post this chapter. I would like to wait at least a week to post the next one. Once again though, all the chapters I wrote are on my fanfiction account, so you're welcome to go there if you want. Either way, you'll have a chance to read the rest. I kind of want to continue writing this story tbh, so I might rewatch the fate series. Okay, enough of my babbling. Enjoy

_Please, my brother_

_Whatever you do, do_ not _become a warrior,_

_Don't take the path that Father and I did._

_I'm begging you._

_You do not want to follow that path in life._

_I don't_ want _you to follow that path in life._

_Please, don't do it._

_I can't...I can't lose you._

The blue-haired Irishman froze for a small moment before walking onto the balcony. About thirty men stood on the structure, telling the warrior that there were about the same number of simple knights who were brave enough to participate in the fight. Although thirty was a rather small number, it was still quite large for a battle like this.

Cu walked up to the railing at the edge of the balcony and leaned against it. He sighed audibly and said a small prayer to keep Diarmuid safe. Suddenly, he heard a voice speaking to him. "Ready for the fight?" the man, who looked to be from Liken, questioned him.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. My little brother is down there, so I am rather uneasy", the Irish lancer replied truthfully with a small, worried smile.

"Ah, yeah, I understand that feeling. My own younger brother is down there as well, ready to fight. But, I have loads of confidence that he'll be chosen as a warrior today", the light brown-haired male told him. "Do you not have confidence in your younger sibling?" The man leaned against the railing like Cu.

"I do have confidence in him. It's just that I am worried for his safety. He's all I have left."

"Makes sense. The name's Zeon Erikin by the way, warrior of the queen of Liken, Likenia", the tall male, who was about the same height as Cu, introduced, holding out his hand for Cu to shake.

"Cu Chulainn Ua Duibhne, warrior of the King of Ireland, Fionn", Cu responded with a nod, grabbing Zeon's hand and shaking it. Zeon's jaw dropped at the introduction. He then gave a small bow.

"Ah, it's such an honor to meet you. I have always wanted to meet you ever since I first heard of your victories and power in battle. Although, I never would have guessed that I would meet you here of all places", he told the other warrior. Cu laughed, causing Zeon to give him a confused expression. "Did I say something funny?"

"Haha, sorry. No, you didn't. I was just laughing, because I'm just a normal warrior like you. There's no need to bow. It's not as if I am a noble or a king", answered Cu. Zeon smiled.

"Yes, but you are the legendary Cu Chulainn. You may be a warrior like me, but you are way above me when comparing us in strength!"

"I can't really say anything on that since I've never seen you fight, but I'm sure you're just as strong as any other warrior out there. But changing the subject, do you know what exactly they are up against? I have heard many things about this arena holding the most brutal of fights, but what exactly are they going to fight?" asked the Irish male.

Zeon's focus was changed, and he turned his attention to the arena. "Most of the time they send in familiars created by magi. They are supposed to be incredibly strong and hard to..." the Likenian stopped, realizing that finishing that sentence would not be a good idea. Cu was already worried enough about his brother; he wouldn't want to make him worry even more. Zeon coughed an awkward cough, "sorry. I don't think I should finish that sentence."

Once again, the other male beside him sighed. "It's fine. I should have known from the start." There was a moment's silence between the two before Zeon spoke up.

"So, how did you react whenever your brother told you that he was going to sign up for this challenge?" he asked.

"Pf, if he would have told me than we wouldn't even be here right now." A questioning look made its way to the dark-green-eyed man's face.

"Do you mean to tell me that he signed up before telling you about it?"

"Yep."

"And since you stated that you two wouldn't be here if he had notified you earlier, does that mean you didn't want him to become a warrior?"

"Yep."

"Weren't you proud of him though? You know, that he wanted to protect people?" Zeon continued to ask.

"Yeah, but I still didn't want him to become a warrior."

"Oh, I see. You must love him a lot, if you did not want him to become a warrior", the less-known knight commented, to which Cu nodded.

"Yeah...like I said before, he's all I have. And I even told him before he signed up for this fight that I did not want him becoming a warrior", the ruby-eyed warrior replied. Zeon sighed and nodded, understanding what the other said. He himself had a small feeling where he did not want his own brother to become what he did, but he was not as protective as Cu was.

"Well, I guess now all we have to do is wait until this battle starts."

"Mm", Cu agreed quietly with a small nod.

* * *

Arturia and her escort walked silently through the halls of the coliseum, until the shorter woman spoke. "I have faith in that knight. I predict that he will definitely prove to be a wonderful warrior in this battle. Although, I think he would be better as a retainer rather than an army knight. He seems to me like more of the type to protect than attack. What do you think, Alo?" She looked towards the warrior beside her. "It's kind of like how you give off more of a general feel than a normal soldier feel. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do know what you mean, but you also have to realize that I was the highest rank general for the Katantan army before I traveled here to Britain", the escort, who went by the name Alodine, replied, as she turned her eyes to the blonde walking to the right of her. "And although I have not met him yet and have not seen the skills that he possesses, I do believe that he would make a rather impressive guardian and retainer. He also seems very loyal to me, kind of like a dog or a wolf", she added.

"Ah yes, I thought that as well. I have a very good feeling that he won't fail to disappoint me", the emerald-eyed female commented. Alodine nodded with a "hmph", as she and Arturia arrived at the royal balcony. "I can see that Gawain did not fail in getting the knights to their entrances as quick as humanly possible. Now if I had allowed Arthur to be in charge of that, the knights would not even be there in a half an hour", Arturia commented, as she took a seat upon the throne. "Is Merlin's Announce Spell ready?"

The general nodded. "Wonderful", the king stated. "Ah Gawain, are we ready to start?" she asked the blonde warrior who had just arrived. Beside him, Arthur stood, a smile filled with anticipation for the fight. He had never watched one of the battles before, and this was his first time even being in the coliseum. On the other side of Gawain stood Merlin, his spell in hand.

"We are, Your Highness. Merlin, cast your spell", he commanded the wizard.

"Of course, Sire", Merlin bowed, as he cast his magic. Arturia soon spoke to all of the guests who came to watch the fight now that her voice was amplified.

"Welcome everyone", the king started. "I am honored to have you all here today for this special event. This event being most known as the Battle for Knighthood. As you all know, this battle is only called to happen for specific reasons, meaning that this battle most likely won't happen again in more than twenty years from now.

Now for those of you who do not know, during this battle I, the King of Britain, Arturia Pendragon will decide upon the five simple knights who will become warriors for Britain. Today, there are thirty-eight knights present to fight in this battle, each one wanting to follow the path of a warrior.

To get a position, the knights will have to show a great amount of skill and strength, as well as other things such as speed, magical resistance, and defense. The brave souls will also be aiding each other in this battle, for they are now comrades in arms. Also during this time, there will be absolute no outside assistance unless something bad or something unexpected were to happen. The only ones who will be able to help them are the other simple knights. After all of the familiars are defeated, the five knights who showed the most amount of skill will be selected to join the British troops.

Now without any further ado, I now welcome all of the knights who have traveled here from all over to come into the arena..." The introductions were over. The simple knights finally walked into the arena. And among them were Diarmuid and Ottoman, who walked to each other as soon as they were at the center of the arena.

* * *

Upon seeing the king who sat upon the throne, Diarmuid's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. He had met the king without even realizing it. But, how could it be that a woman was king?

A glance the other way allowed Cu to come into his field of vision. He was leaning against the railing, his face placed in his hands. He was definitely uneasy, most likely more uneasy than Diarmuid. Diarmuid saw his brother turn to the brown-haired man beside him, who bore a slight resemblance to Ottomon.

"Hey, I see my brother!" exclaimed the orange-haired knight. He seemed to be talking of the man Cu was chatting with.

"The man with the brown hair?"

"Yep, the one talking with the blue-haired man."

"Well then, it seems that our brothers have already met", Diarmuid commented. Ottoman looked toward the Irish lancer with a confused look.

"That's Cu? You two look nothing alike", he stated.

"I know."

It seemed that their conversations kept being cut short that day, for Arturia spoke up once more. "Please, give a round of applause to these brave knights for signing up to participate in this battle today", she told the crowd. With that, everyone in the coliseum stood up and clapped for the ones standing inside the cage that was the arena. "With that over with, let the battle finally begin!"

* * *

"Here it is, Cu", Zeon commented, as they watched the familiars exit their cages. Among them were different animals such as wild boars, small bears, and wolves. "This is it." There were about forty of them. Zeon looked over at Cu, who seemed to be mouthing something. "What? Sorry, I can't hear you."

Cu was sent out of his daze and looked over at Zeon. "Oh my apologies, I was just...mentally telling Diarmuid not to die." The Likenian warrior gave the Irish man a reassuring look.

"He's going to be fine. I'm sure you trained him well enough to survive this battle." Cu breathed out and nodded at his new friend, still worried about his brother. He looked at the arena where the knights were fighting. He could see Diarmuid protecting everyone he could.

"Cu, is that one of the Chinchilla?" Cu looked at the knights and noticed that Zeon was right. Among the knights, there was one of the Chinchilla Silvecore, people who can turn into specific animals. They were quite easy to spot due to having animal ears and a tail normally.

"Yep, has to be. She must be desperate for shelter, if she came all the way here. And unless the king here isn't racist, she probably won't be able to get a spot." Zeon nodded in agreement. All they could do was see what played out.

* * *

Throwing a wild boar that charged itself at him before getting stabbed through the neck by his spear, Diarmuid watched carefully for other familiars. He had killed the most out of anybody so far – eleven. There was no way he couldn't get a position now.

He continued to slash at all of the familiars that came near him or an ally. _You have to become a warrior, Diarmuid. You have to!_

* * *

"I hope none of them get hurt, or at least _too_ hurt", Jeanne commented, as she watched the battle. She turned her head towards her best friend whose eyes seemed to be following one knight. "Arturia, who are you watching?" The king lifted her head, turning it towards the blonde clad in purple. She gave the Frenchwoman a small smile.

"I'm watching the man with the black hair. He's in the green tunic", the other woman answered, as she turned back to watch the knight. Jeanne looked towards him. Once catching sight of him, she giggled softly.

"Are you falling for him, Artie? I would have never guessed that you would gain feelings for somebody", she chuckled. Her best friend turned to her.

"No, Jeanne, I am not falling for him. What do you think I am, a maiden? No, the reason I was watching him was because he seems like he would make a great retainer. Even Alodine agreed", Arturia replied.

"Oh, is that right? Wait, but did you two just look down there and agree or what?"

"No, I accidentally ran into him when I was roaming the halls of the coliseum. I talked with him for a small moment before Alo came to guide me here."

"Oh, I see", responded Jeanne.

"Yes."

* * *

Sweat dripped from Diarmuid's head. He was getting exhausted, but he knew he couldn't just give up. He promised his brother he wouldn't die, and he would keep that promise. And not only that, the king who watched seemed to have a good amount of faith in him. He had noticed a few minutes prior that she had her eyes on him. Diarmuid knew he couldn't disappoint her, for she told him not to before he even got into the preparation room.

His swords were still placed in the sheathe belt he wore, undamaged. He told himself that he wouldn't use them unless he needed to. His lances, however, were different. They were used to getting bloodied.

He saw a bear charge after him. Diarmuid took a step to the left, before it could pounce on him and drove the tip of his red spear into its throat. He pulled the blade out from the familiar and stood himself up, looking around for the whole coliseum was once again quiet. All of the animals had been killed without a knight getting seriously injured. And for that, Diarmuid was thankful.

The Irishman looked up at the king, who wore a smile on her face. She seemed to be satisfied with all of the knights who fought that day. But soon, her smile faded, and her eyes pointed towards the opening to her right. Diarmuid looked towards what she spotted and saw four other familiars running towards them. But these familiars looked to be much, much stronger than the others. So much so that even the king became worried about the knights.

"Ah!" a yell sounded, the voice being that of another knight. One of the familiars charged at him with incredible power and speed. The man shook as he held his sword up. At the crowd's gasp, Diarmuid's feet began moving on their own, towards the other knight and the familiar in front of him. Throwing his lances down on the ground, the Irish male took out the swords from their sheathes and got in front of his comrade, pushing him to the side so he wouldn't be attacked.

The familiar, a huge bear, changed its prey to Diarmuid once it laid its eyes on him. The bear soon pounced on him, pinning him to the ground, but he luckily had one arm he could still use. The man drove the sword into its thick neck. It snarled, as the blade was pulled out from it. Diarmuid took that time to drive the tip of his sword into the bear's eye and get free.

A searing pain went through his left arm, telling him that the bear had probably broken it. He looked the other way and saw Ottoman fighting a huge boar with three other knights and a young woman who looked to be part of the Chinchilla tribe, who only wielded a simple dagger. The other knights were trying to run as far away from the familiars as possible.

A sudden snarl from a wolf caused Diarmuid to look to his left. A large wolf was running towards him at full speed. The Irishman tried to pick up his sword but couldn't for his left arm was causing him too much pain to move. The feral wolf pounced, ready to kill but was stopped short when an axe was sent threw its neck with one simple slice, beheading it.

Diarmuid looked up at the person who saved him and realized that it was the same woman who acted as the king's escort. She lifted up the axe, that looked like it would weigh about two-hundred pounds, with her cursed left arm. The woman didn't even give him a glance, before she ran and killed the last familiar with ease, decapitating it, for the five knights who were fighting the boar managed to rid of it.

Diarmuid sighed in relief and saw a young woman with blonde hair who wore purple and silver come up to him with a magic staff and heal him. It felt as though his arm was being compressed, but he ignored it, for he knew it would only last for a second. Whenever he had broken his leg when he was thirteen, Cu had done the same exact thing.

After she was done healing him, the short female nodded with a smile and made her way to heal the other knights who were injured. The first one she went to was Ottoman, who was healed within a second. She nodded to him the way she did to Diarmuid and continued to the others.

Ottoman ran up to Diarmuid, as he stood up, holding his arm. "I'm glad you're safe", Diarmuid told Ottoman with a relieved smile

"Glad _I'm_ safe? No, I'm glad _you're_ safe. If it hadn't been for that woman, you would have been mauled", the shorter male replied. Diarmuid gave Ottoman a smile, one that was full of distress and relief, and nodded before looking up at the king once more.

* * *

Cu stood leaning against the railing, shaking. His hands covered his face, as he realized what had just happened. His brother nearly died. He in fact _would have_ died, if the king hadn't sent out one of her warriors. Cu breathed heavily, trying to soothe himself. _He's alive, Cu. Dia is fine. There is nothing left to worry about. The battle is finally over._

A hand landed on his shoulder. Cu looked over to see Zeon, who stood up straight, giving him an encouraging smile to tell him that everything was okay. The Irish warrior gave a few deep breaths before standing up and rubbing his face. "Take a moment to calm yourself, Cu. The king is going to announce the simple knights who will become warriors here in a moment." The Irishman sighed once more, nodding as he did, and tried to relax himself.

* * *

Diarmuid and Ottoman soon heard the voice of King Arturia erupt from the Royal Balcony. "I am truly sorry about that, everyone, especially all of you knights. It seems that someone gained control of them and released them into the arena. Luckily, a few of the knights and my main general and escort, Alodine, took care of them. I also sent some of my soldiers to look for anyone suspicious in the coliseum to find out who it was that let them free.

But moving on, I have now chosen the five knights who will become warriors today. They all showed a great amount of skill and bravery today, so I am honored to announce them. If your name is called, please get in a line and stand, facing away from the Royal Balcony.

The ones who will become warriors, in no specific order are Manning Oakley", a green-haired man, who looked to be about the same age as Diarmuid and Ottoman, walked to the center of the arena with a large, proud smile on his face. "Weston Mont", the young king went on. A dark brown-haired boy went up, also with a proud smile on his face. "Chilla Strong." The Silvecore made her way up with a surprised look. Angry eyes from the other knights followed her. "Long Hydra", Arturia continued. A young woman with pointed ears made her way up to the line, a surprised face on her like the one Chilla wore as she made her way up to the line. Also like Chilla, the knights gave her an angry look as well. There was one spot left. That meant either one of the two friends, Ottoman or Diarmuid, would get the last position or neither of them would.

"And finally, the last spot will be presented to Ottoman Erikin", the king concluded. Ottoman gave Diarmuid a look of surprise. The Irish lancer mouthed _"get up there; you deserve it",_ letting Ottoman know that he wanted him to have that last spot. Reluctantly, Ottoman made his way up there. "Please, give a round of applause for the new warriors." With that, the crowd and the knights who were not chosen to become warriors clapped, as they shared confused expressions.

Suddenly, the King of Britain went on. "Now, I bet all of you are wondering why the knight who took the hit for his comrade was not chosen as a warrior. Well, there is definitely a reason for that", she said, as she made her way down the stairs in the center of the balcony that led to the inside of the arena. Once down the stairs, she made her way over to Diarmuid. The general called Alodine and the girl who healed him stood behind her.

Diarmuid looked down at the woman who barely came up to his chest and then turned his attention towards his brother, who wore a rather confused expression on his face as did Ottoman's elder brother, Zeon. He noticed that the whole coliseum was quiet. The dark-haired male looked back down at Arturia, who gave him a small glance before continuing to speak.

"This brave knight definitely showed all of the necessary traits that a warrior should possess. If I had less restrictions, he would have been announced as a warrior in the first five minutes of the fight, but unfortunately I am not allowed to do that so I didn't. But now for the reason why I did not choose him to become a warrior...

That reason is for the simple fact that I have chosen him to now act as my own personal retainer instead", she finally stated. Diarmuid, who turned his attention to the ground a moment earlier, looked back up with widened eyes, surprise filled his face. "During the battle, I noticed that he had a way with protecting people, and that exactly what I, who has been searching for a worthy retainer ever since my father died and passed the throne to me, have been looking for. So from now on, this knight, this _warrior_ as I should rightfully say, is now my retainer and guardian."

"So please, give a final round of applause for my new guardian, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne." The crowd soon cheered loudly. It was the loudest cheer that the crowd gave all day, most likely ever. The young, blonde woman turned to Diarmuid with a wide grin. "Congratulations, warrior", she congratulated quietly, but loud enough for Diarmuid to hear. The lancer finally returned her smile, giving her a bow of thanks.

She gave him one last nod before making her way back to the Royal Balcony, Alodine and the other female walking close behind her (both of whom gave Diarmuid a nod to congratulate him as they passed). She walked back in front of the throne to conclude the event. "Everyone is now able to go. We will be holding a large feast for all of the mentors and family members present for the knights who participated. The knights chosen, including my new retainer, are ordered to follow Gawain to the room you will be waiting in until the feast. And with that, I thank everyone who came today to witness this event. Have a wonderful day."

The event was finally over. Diarmuid watched as his elder brother and Zeon walked off of the balcony meant for the mentors and family members, before he felt a pat on his right shoulder. "Congrats, my brother in arms", Ottoman congratulated happily with a chuckle. "Here, I grabbed these for you, so you wouldn't forget them", he stated, as he handed Diarmuid his spears.

"Thanks, Ottoman", he replied cheerfully. Ottoman started laughing with excitement after he told Diarmuid, "no problem".

"I can't believe we're warriors! I can't believe it! This seems like some sort of dream!" the man exclaimed happily. The Irishman chuckled and nodded, agreeing with the statement. He couldn't believe what had just happened. In one moment, he was just a simple knight and in the next he's the personal retainer for the King of Britain. It looks like fate was finally becoming kind to him. He was finally going to follow the fate of a warrior (albeit a personal one but a warrior all the same) just as his brother and father had. His dream had finally come true.

The two friends laughed in happiness, as they made their ways to follow Gawain. It seemed that they would be able to continue their friendship for many years more.


	3. Two of the Silvecore

_Listen here, Brother,_

_Do not show any prejudice to anyone,_

_Not to a religion,_

_Not to one of another skin color,_

_And especially not to one of the Silvecore._

_They are people too._

_They have feelings too._

_They are just like us in nearly every way._

Diarmuid and Ottoman stood in the corner of the room, waiting for Zeon and Cu to arrive. The mentors and family members were told that they could visit the new warriors as they waited in the room. Ottoman was nearly jumping in joy waiting to hear what his brother would say to him. On the other hand, Diarmuid knew that Cu would have mixed feelings about their battle, for he was almost killed yet he was chosen as the new retainer of the King, a position that only a select few are granted. "I wonder what my brother is going to say whenever he gets in here", Ottoman stated, as he looked towards the door.

"Yeah...I don't know if Cu will be happy or absolutely pissed whenever he gets in here", Diarmuid quietly replied. The shorter male turned to the taller one, a confused look on his face.

"Why's that?" he asked with a questioning expression. He would have guessed that Cu would be proud of his little brother for getting a nearly impossible position to get. It was an honor that only the best of the best knights were given, and Diarmuid had received it after trying to become a regular army warrior. The raven-haired man looked at the pumpkin-haired man.

"He won't be happy that he saw me nearly get killed", he explained.

"Even if you were chosen to become a royal's retainer?"

"It doesn't matter. Cu is very protective. After I signed up for this fight, I was actually scared to tell him. In fact, I didn't go home until seven hours later, because I was so scared to tell him. I knew how disappointed he would be to hear that I disobeyed something he's said since our father died when I was eleven", answered Diarmuid. He held a serious tone in his voice, telling Ottoman that he was being serious.

"Wow, he really _is_ protective", the Likenian agreed. Diarmuid nodded in response.

Suddenly, two warriors walked in the room, a basket of rolls in each of their hands. The two set the baskets down on the bench to the right of Diarmuid and Ottoman before turning to their younger brothers. As soon as Cu looked at Diarmuid, he spread out his arms and embraced the other Irishman. "You scared me half to damn death, Diarmuid", the elder sibling said.

"I'm fine, Cu", Diarmuid reassured Cu.

"Don't think I didn't see your arm get crushed. But anyway, I'm proud of you. Congratulations, Dia", Cu continued, as he let go of Diarmuid. The blue-haired warrior smiled at his brother before hearing commotion coming from the two Erikin brothers. The Duibhnes looked towards the two men and chuckled at the scene. Zeon had Ottoman in a friendly headlock.

"I can't believe my little brother is a warrior!" Zeon exclaimed happily, as he gave Ottoman noogie. The younger brother got out of his brother's grasp, as he told Zeon to stop with a chuckle. Cu and Diarmuid walked up to the two, smiling at them. Ottoman's eyes soon widened when he saw the famed "Hound of Culainn".

"It's an honor to meet you! The name's Ottoman" Ottoman stated, as he extended his hand to the blue-haired male. Cu chuckled and shook his hand.

"Haha, nice to meet you, Ottoman. I would introduce myself, but it seems that you already know who I am", the man replied with a laugh.

"Of course, I do! So, um, changing the subject, but why did you two bring bread?" Ottoman wondered.

"Oh right, a warrior of the British army, Gawain was it, told us that we were welcomed to take some to you, since you're probably hungry. It'll be a little while until the feast begins", answered Zeon, as he handed the orange-haired warrior the basket of bread, which consisted of muffins, rolls, and other types of bread. Cu handed Diarmuid's basket over to him as well.

"Great, I'm starving! I could eat a horse!" Ottoman responded, as he and the younger Duibhne sat down on the bench behind them. Suddenly, Zeon's attention was aimed towards someone sitting on the bench to Ottoman and Diarmuid's right. The two looked over to where the dark-brown haired male was looking, and they soon saw that Zeon had his eyes on the two Silvecore who sat on the other bench.

The other two males who had been chosen as warriors, as well as their visitors, were not paying any attention to them, and it seemed like the two had no one there to come visit them and bring them food. Zeon continued to look at them before him and Cu told their brothers to hand them two pieces of bread each. "Oi", the dark-green eyed man spoke to the women, as he and Cu walked up to them. Diarmuid and Ottoman just watched as the two walked up to the two Silvecore. "Here, have these. You two look hungry", he continued, as they offered the pieces of food.

The women looked up at them with suspicious looks. They glanced at each other and then pointed their eyes to the food. "Did you contaminate it?" the chinchilla questioned.

Cu gave a friendly, welcoming smile. "Of course, we didn't. Please, we insist you take it. You two look much, much hungrier than our brothers over there. You deserve it more." The Silvecore continued to look at them with unsure looks but soon grabbed the bread anyway and started to nibble on it.

The Silvecore with the pointy ears looked up at the two men. "Thank you", she said to them before turning her attention back to the food that was given to her. Ottoman and Diarmuid continued to look at the scene.

"What just happened?" Ottoman asked in a whisper, as he looked to Diarmuid. "Why did they just give them food, and why did they ask if they contaminated it?"

The one beside him turned his head to look at him. "I heard that the Silvecore, no matter which group they are from or how friendly they are, are discriminated horribly here in Britain. Back in Ireland, Cu and I have seen some of the Silvecore hide their identities just to pass through human villages. If they were caught, they would be thrown in jail. Here however, Cu has told me that the villagers lynch them immediately, if they were found out. So, Zeon and Cu probably knew that they were on the verge of starving."

"That's horrible. I've never seen that happen in Liken", replied Ottoman.

"That's because your queen has made it a law to not discriminate against them. And not only that, they like to be by a large source of a water, because it's still difficult for them to find water due to villagers and civilians continuing their prejudice that they place against them and not allowing access to human villages. The only reason why I know this is because my brother would always tell me stories of his travels after he got home. He always told them to not discriminate them, because they were subject to enough even though they are just like us in nearly every single way."

"Why are they discriminated?"

"Humans think them a threat to their race, so they do their best to make them feel inferior to us", Diarmuid explained. Ottoman looked back at the Silvecore, who looked to be talking with Cu and Zeon.

The door soon flung open, revealing a very tall man, most likely standing 6'4", with a black cloak draped over him, covering his eyes. The new warriors watched him, as he walked over to the two Silvecore. He held two large baskets of bread in his hands and handed them to the two females. "I was ordered to bring these to you. Do not eat them quick, for they might upset your stomach."

They looked up at him but soon took the baskets. "Thank you", they said in unison. The man nodded before making his way out of the room silently. The Silvecore, who Diarmuid and Ottoman recalled to be Chilla and Long, took out two pieces of bread from their own baskets and gave them to Cu and Ottoman, who shook their heads and told them that it was theirs to eat. They nodded and proceeded to eat the food.

Ottoman saw Diarmuid get up and walk over, causing him to do the same. The warrior who came from Liken had never met a Silvecore in his life. They always seemed to be hidden in the shadows. Diarmuid gave Chilla and Long a wide smile. "Hello", he greeted sweetly.

"Hi", stated Ottoman to the two. Chilla and Long looked at the two with the same looks they gave Cu and Zeon the first time they walked up.

"Don't worry. They won't hurt you. Ottoman here is my little brother, and Diarmuid is Cu's younger brother. So, don't worry", Zeon reassured the Silvecore. The two women looked back at the young men.

Chilla, one of the Chinchilla Silvecore, had long, beautiful, silver hair that was let down to hang below her waist. Her ears were pointed, which was quite rare, and her tail looked fluffy and soft like a bear-fur blanket. Long, however, looked to be a normal human. The only thing that gave her true identity away was her ears, and her scale-like, dry skin as well as her long fingernails that appeared more as claws. Having a closer look gave it away that she was one of the Wyvern Silvecore.

"You can trust us", Diarmuid told Chilla and Long. The two gave each other a glance and turned back to the two younger warriors, nodding.

"Thank you. I know _I_ have never trusted humans. They were the cause for the demolishment of my village, but it eases my heart to know that there are humans who have pure hearts such as all of yours. It is quite rare to find a human who does not discriminate against someone for their race", Chilla stated, her voice low, beautiful, and clear yet somehow quiet and shy.

"I will have to thank you as well. I, like Chilla here, also have never placed my trust in humans, but I feel that I am able to put my trust in you men", Long agreed before placing another piece of bread in her mouth. Her voice seemed a little younger than Chilla's but calming and sweet all the same.

They then heard the door open once more. The same man that had entered earlier, the one draped in the cloak, followed the woman who had saved Diarmuid in the arena. Her boots hit the ground with a quiet clack. As she walked in, the room immediately became quiet. Also behind her was the short, blonde girl who healed Diarmuid.

The woman, who was introduced by the king as Alodine, walked towards the retainer and stopped in front of him. Chilla and Long looked at Alodine and then towards the man behind her. "The king's faith was not misplaced", the general told the raven-haired Irishman. "We were right about you proving yourself to be a good retainer. Well done, knight of Ireland, very well done. I was quite impressed with how you acted in the arena."

Diarmuid bowed a small bow. "Thank you."

"There is no need for you to thank me. I am only saying facts", the general told him. "Anyway, I am Alodine, one of the top generals here in Britain. It is lovely to make your acquaintance."

"It is an honor to meet you as well." Diarmuid took Alodine's hand, shaking it. After letting go, Alodine turned to the short blonde beside her. "I will now be seeing Arturia. If you want to come as well, you are welcomed, but you can also stay here and get to know some of the new knights."

The female nodded. "I will stay here for a bit before I go see Arturia...I mean the king", she responded, fixing her sentence.

"There is no need for you to call her 'the king'. You are close enough to her to just call her Arturia, as I do. And soon", Alodine looked over to Diarmuid before continuing. "You will be the same way as well. Do not feel the need to call her by a formal name, if you are her retainer. She will most likely tell you that you do not have to anyway, but I'm just telling you so you know in the future."

"Alodine!" a male's voice came from behind her. She looked toward the warrior. There stood Gawain. "You should not speak so softly of this matter! It is disrespectful to speak of the king without any formalities. And even if King Arturia said that that would be alright, why would you think it fine for someone such as yourself, who was born in Likenia and raised and trained in Katanta, be allowed to speak with her with such informality."

"Are you saying that because of where I come from I am not allowed become close to Arturia?" Alodine's eyes seemed to flash, as she walked up close to Gawain, looking up at him.

"That's _King_ Arturia to you, and that is not what I am saying. I am saying that-"

"What _are_ you saying? The two Arturia is closest to are Jeanne and me, whom both originate from different countries. Now believe me, I have my restrictions due to coming from a different country, especially from one that's been in a near war with Montalonea for hundreds of years. But you on the other hand, you have a great number of restrictions less than I do. You are allowed to stop the generals who are below you, so tell me why you do not intend to stop the general that you know is having a love affair with the-"

"Stop it, you two! Before this fight gets any more out of hand! Both of you, I want you out of here", the purple-eyed girl commanded sternly. Alodine looked at her, her body still facing the other general's, and nodded. She gave Gawain a glance that could kill before walking out. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed warrior looked at the short woman, who seemed to have an authority greater than his. "Out", she told him again. He dropped his head in shame and listened to the order. "Zoal, I want you to stay here", the blonde said to the tall man.

Everyone in the room was quiet, as they looked at the blonde female. The two Erikins and the two Duibhnes simply looked at the girl, confused as to what had just happened. She soon turned to them. "I apologize about that. If I would have known that they would have started arguing, I would have told them to go earlier. Anyway, I am Jeanne d'Arc. It is a pleasure meeting you", she introduced. The girl who spoke seemed to be French.

Diarmuid, Ottoman, Zeon, and Cu shook her hands telling her their names. "Ah, I must thank you for healing my brother in the arena", Cu said, after he introduced himself. Jeanne looked down at the ground.

"Ah, of course. I actually hate using magic, but Merlin and the other soldiers, besides Alo, went to go see what had happened with the familiars being let loose from their cages. So, I had to do it myself, since Arturia asked me if I could", the Frenchwoman spoke softly with a slight blush. "She told me that I didn't have to do it, but I knew Merlin wouldn't be back for a while so I thought that I would help."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I've been ordered to do a lot of things I don't like to do", the blue-haired Irishman told her. She looked up at him.

"Oh, really?" Her voice was shy but yet ever so gorgeous.

"Of course, in fact you should be proud of yourself. You proved the commitment you have to the king", he replied. Jeanne smiled happily.

"Oh, um, yes, thank you."

"Of course, milady." The girl giggled a bit before suddenly remembering something. "Ah, I think it is finally time for me to lead all of you to the dining hall in the castle, so everyone can chat for a bit instead of being locked up in this dull room." Jeanne seemed anxious to get to the dining hall. "Please, follow me everybody!" she exclaimed excitedly. "You can leave the baskets of bread in here. The servants will be coming around to pick them up."

The warriors and their visitors soon got up and followed Jeanne, thinking about the feast that was going to be held in a short while. The feasts that were held by royals were known to be quite grand and amazing. Even Chilla and Long, who knew that they were going to be surrounded by humans, were excited about it.

Jeanne led the way through a hall that led directly from the coliseum to the castle that could only be accessed by the British warriors and any royalty as well as specific guests. They soon reached the halls of the castle and made their way to the dining room. When the doors were opened and they revealed the room, the eyes of the warriors widened in amazement at the beautiful table and gorgeous decorations.


	4. A Trusted General

_Listen closely, Diarmuid_

_If you are ever in danger,_

_Only kill the ones that need to be killed._

_Do not kill for power._

_Do not kill for authority._

_Do not kill to make others fear you._

_Only kill if you have to,_

_For most of the time you can get around taking another's life_

The warriors walked up the table, trying to find the card that had their name on it. The table was enormous. It looked as if it could seat a whole village. On it, candles, silverware, and plate mats decorated it. The people, who looked to be from the royal council, looked at them with welcoming smiles as they walked towards their seats. "Your seats are right beside the king at the end of the table", one of the nobles told them. They nodded and made their way to the other end.

Diarmuid paused before sitting in his seat. By the last plate mat on the right side of the table was a small card that had _Diarmuid Ua Duibhne_ written on it in a fancy font. He wondered if someone was fooling with him. Why was he seated beside the king? "Please, take a seat, Diarmuid. Don't worry. That is your seat", Jeanne reassured him from the other side of the table with a welcoming smile.

"But, why am I placed beside the king?" the raven-haired Irishman questioned. Jeanne suddenly giggled, as she took the seat that was placed beside the queen.

"Because, you're her new retainer, silly. You _have_ to sit beside the king, so make sure you get used to it. You'll be doing it a lot in the future", the Frenchwoman giggled. Diarmuid nodded in response, as he sat down beside Cu, who was seated to the left of him. The man who Jeanne called Zoal soon sat down one seat away from Jeanne, leaving a seat open for someone else. It seemed that he had left to go elsewhere for a bit before arriving at the dining room.

"I see that you finally took your cloak off, Zoal", Jeanne stated, as she realized that his face was finally uncovered. Instead, a light brown beanie-hat was placed on his head instead of the hood he wore to cover his head earlier. The man had long, black, fluffy hair and demonic red eyes just as the general he had followed in the chosen warriors' waiting room earlier. "May I ask where Alo made her way to?"

Zoal looked at the blonde. "She told me that she was going out to take a walk through the woods for a bit. She will arrive here soon", he informed her.

"Um, may I ask a question, ma'am?" one of the other male warriors, the one called Weston, spoke up.

"Of course, ask away", the short female nodded.

"Thank you. My question is who exactly is Alodine? I know that she is a general, but what kind of authority does she have? She seems to have quite a bit", Weston said.

"Ah yes, Alo does have quite a bit of authority due to being one of, if not the, highest ranking general here. But as you heard in her and Gawain's little argument, she has restrictions due to not being born in Britain as do I. The only difference between our roles is that I'm mostly here to support King Arturia, while she is here to fight."

"She seems kind of...scary", the knight named Manning added. Jeanne started to giggle.

"I hear that quite a lot. She _is_ very intimidating, but that's one of the reasons the former king, Uther, hired her. She is very good at leading others which is why she holds such a high position in the army. But, it seems for that same reason she is not trusted by some of the royal court and especially the queen. They do not think that her heart is in the right and that she could be a threat to the country which is another reason why she has her limits", the woman sitting across from them responded.

"Why can't they just demote her if they think her as a threat?" Weston questioned.

Jeanne sighed. "They cannot simply demote her, because King Uther personally selected her as general soon before he passed. About seven years ago when Alo arrived here, King Uther met with her privately to discuss some things or at least that's what I've heard; I wasn't here when she arrived, so I wouldn't exactly know all the details. But I do know that all the army knows is that Alo escaped from the Katantan army with Zoal and her student, Felicity, which is a nearly impossible task and was chosen as a general. Other than that, we have no idea about Alo's past or what else happened during that meeting. The only one who knows what happened other than Alo is Zoal here who is not allowed to say anything."

The newest warriors looked at each other confused. But it seemed that their elder kin and mentors were not confused at all but had more of a surprised look on their face. One of the visitors beside Weston opened their mouth to speak but was interrupted by the arriving of the king. The blonde woman sat down on the chair beside Diarmuid that was at the very end of the table, as a brunette sat beside her on the other chair located at the end. The young king soon welcomed everybody to the feast, as appetizers were sat on the table for all of the guests to snack on. After the welcoming was over, Arturia soon turned to Jeanne. "Where is Alo?"

"She is on a walk. She will arrive soon."

"Wonderful, I wouldn't want her missing the feast", the king replied with a small smile.

"Do not stress yourself over a dog such as Alo. There is no need for it", the queen told the king. Arturia shot her eyes towards the other woman, looking rather angry and frustrated. "What is it, dear Arturia? I am only speaking the truth. You know that that _Katantan_ can't be trusted", she stated, a rude snarl as she spoke "Katantan".

"Alodine is one my most loyal and reliable generals that I command. If you think that she cannot be trusted than all I can do is disagree with you. And, what exactly is it that makes you not trust Alodine, Guinevere?" the young royal questioned, a harsh tone present in her voice. The queen, Guinevere as Arturia had called her a moment ago, looked up at the king with a fierce glare. She then smiled, an odd smile with hidden emotions underneath.

"Now darling, you know that Alodine betrayed, abandoned, _and_ escaped from Katanta when knowing all too well that if she did such a thing that the whole kingdom would crumble", Guinevere stated, a mocking sort of tone within the voice.

"You do not know that, Guinevere. None of us know anything about her past, and you don't-"

"But what if that is the truth, my dear? Then what? What if she does the same thing here?"

"I will not speak about this with you any longer, especially not here. We are here to enjoy a feast with all the brave knights who came to fight in the battle today, and that is what I plan to do. If you continue to disobey my rules, then I will have to ask you to leave. It matters not if you are queen. If you disobey me, you will have to leave just as any other person would", Arturia told Guinevere, who scoffed and turned to the appetizers, grabbing a piece of fruit from a fruit bowl. King Arturia then turned to the knights and their companions. "I am very sorry for that. It will not happen again."

The knights nodded to her, as they began to dig into all of the hors d'oeuvres that were set out. As Diarmuid brought some of the small servings to his plate, he heard Arturia start to speak to him. "Ah yes, I forgot to tell you that you did not fail in what I told you to do earlier, Diarmuid. You certainly did not disappoint me. In fact, you impressed me quite a bit, while you were fighting in the arena."

The raven-haired Irishman nodded in thanks. "Thank you, Your Highness. I am glad that I did not let you down", he replied with a small bow of the head. The King of Britain nodded to him.

"Of course", she responded, as she started to grab some of the appetizers as well. She suddenly turned to Cu, who was listening in on Ottoman's and Zeon's conversation about what would be the best weapon to use in a desert. "Were you the one who trained him, Sir Cu?" she asked politely. The blue-haired male nodded his head after turning to her.

"Yes, I've been training him since he was eleven (although I was only teaching him to protect and not be a warrior)", Cu informed her. Arturia smiled.

"Well no wonder why he is such a good fighter and protector. Being trained by such a renowned warrior such as yourself really comes in handy. I know when I was trained, I definitely had a very experienced warrior train me as well." Queen Guinevere turned to King Arturia, red with hatred, anger, and frustration. Arturia turned to her. "Is there something else you would like to say about Alodine, because I really don't think you would like to continue the matter that we discussed earlier unless you would like to make your way out of the exit." Guinevere turned back to her food, quick and frustrated.

Suddenly, one of the knights, a knight of General Lancelot's, asked if he could speak with her privately, to which she nodded and stood up with a small "if you'll excuse me". Arturia watched her, as she left to go into another room. Jeanne soon spoke up. "What was that about?" she asked worriedly.

"I have no idea", the other woman responded, as she turned back to her plate. Everything was quiet for a second before the door to the dining hall opened. "Ah, that must be Alo", the one at the end of the table stated but soon realized that the dining hall was still quiet. "Jeanne, what's wrong? What's happened?" she asked her best friend, who was looking at whoever was walking toward the king, just as everybody else was doing.

Many pairs of eyes followed the one who walked down the table. The clack of her boots was the only sound that erupted, for everyone stayed quiet as they watched. Finally, the woman entered Arturia's field of vision. She had been right about who it was – Alodine. But her appearance worried the king.

Alo finally stopped, looking at the king. Arturia could only stare at the general. The red-eyed female was covered from head to toe in blood. It stained her clothes and covered her armor. There was blood dripping from her strawberry-blonde hair, and her boots left footprints on the marble floor below her. She did not look injured, so the red liquid must have come from someone else. "Alo, what-what happened?" King Arturia questioned. Alo spit some blood that had made its way inside of her mouth on the floor.

"A band of probably seventy assassins came and attacked me. Of course, they didn't realize that they didn't stand a chance against me, so I easily defeated them", she explained, her demonic eyes seemed to be glowing red with anger. Suddenly, Guinevere walked into the room, gasping.

"Alodine, how dare you come in here looking like that?! I knew it! I knew she couldn't be trusted!" the queen exclaimed. "Somebody, take her to the-" she was cut off, before she could finish the sentence.

"There is no need, Guinevere. General Alo was attacked by a band of assassins, which is rather odd considering assassins only kill when they are hired. Could it be that someone wants you dead?" Arturia faced Alo.

"Most likely, the rebellion has only been growing, and speaking that I am one of your most trusted generals the rebels most likely thought that it would be most effective to be rid of me first", the general replied.

"Not surprising, and speaking that you're also Katantan does not help the situation. But, who is it that knew that you were one of the 'most trusted' generals of Arturia, Alodine? You are kept a secret for a reason", Guinevere said. Alo turned to the queen, an angry and frustrated look on her face.

"Yes, who _would_ know about me? Who _would_ want me dead? Who _would_ take cowardly tactics such as hiring a band of assassins to kill me? The rebels of course. But of course, there's one thing that's still missing. Who _is_ leading the rebellion? There must always be a leader to lead. And they most likely have a great authority that is higher than most, so with those facts I could just bet on there probably being a rebel in this room at this very moment. But, who exactly is it? Could it be that you know anything, _'Queen'_ Guinevere?" Red eyes looked into Guinevere's, who simply looked at Alo with hatred in her eyes.

"May I ask what exactly it is that you are implying, _low-life_?" There was an obvious hatred that the queen held in her voice. Alodine abruptly took something out of her pocket, a badge of some sort. Arturia's eyes widened, as she caught a glimpse of it.

"As an army, we, of course, always have a band of assassins handy just in case we have to stoop to dirty tricks such as curses, black magic, and of course using trained murderers who sneak about the shadows. Every general has their own band of assassins that they prefer to go to when using such tricks. And to show the pledge that they made, that band of assassins or mercenaries in some cases are given a badge with the specific general's seal. Each assassin from the group is given a badge that magically sews itself onto their clothing. Once they die or the contract is broken, the magic no longer works thus the badge falls off of their clothing." Guinevere knew exactly where the general was going with her argument.

"So, you are saying that Lancelot commanded his trusted group to go out and murder you? Is that what you are saying, _dog_?" she asked, offended. The general clad in a dusty-purple nodded her head.

"After a contract is made, the band can only be commanded by that one general. They are not allowed to take commands from any other. And this is magically written in a contract. Those who disobey will soon die a terrible death", Alo explained.

"Which is exactly what happened, Alo."

"But, the badge also becomes rusted. And if you did not notice, the badge is not even close to rusting. Do you think me as ignorant, _Your Majesty_?" Guinevere opened her mouth to speak but was soon interrupted by the King.

"That is enough. We will look into this event some other time. Right now, we are here to feast and celebrate the brave knights. Alo, why don't you go wash yourself up and get some rest, for you must be tired after defeating those assassins. I will have a servant bring you some food later." Alodine looked towards King Arturia, who looked down at the table obviously distressed. The female warrior, not wanting to cause the king any more distress, nodded and made her way out of the dining hall. Arturia looked toward Guinevere, "I would like you to make your way out as well, Guinevere. I have heard enough. I will have a servant bring you food as well."

"But, dear Arturia!" she exclaimed. "I-I apologize for my behavior, but Alodine has way too much authority here. And also, she should not have be allowed to back-talk to me! She is a mere general, who has no authority above me, who is queen!"

"I am well aware that what Alodine did was disrespectful, but she did have a point. As I said, I will look into this. I will take care of the problem, Guinevere. Now if you would, please make your way out of the dining hall", commanded Arturia, who simply sat in the King's seat. Guinevere was about to speak but decided against it and made her way out of the place of dining. As if it was planned, the food arrived right after the door had closed. "Ah well, the food is finally here. Shall we get eating? Ah yes, but first I would like to propose a toast!" the green-eyed woman announced, as she stood from her seat. "To all of the brave knights who participated today, the new warriors, and my new retainer!"

Everybody cheered and bumped their glasses, filled to the brim with ale. Many "cheers" were said before the guests soon started to dig into the food. Diarmuid looked over at his brother, who seemed to be troubled by something. "Is there something wrong, Brother?" he asked the elder man. Cu shook his head, getting himself out of his daze.

"No, it was nothing", Cu responded, as he started to grab some food. "I was just thinking about what General Alodine was saying about the rebellions and about that badge she threw", he informed his younger brother. Diarmuid looked at him in confusion.

"Oh, have you heard of those types of magical contracts?"

"I have. Although our army doesn't really have a true general, since the king does most of the commanding, I've definitely heard of other countries and their generals using those methods. It is definitely not unusual or rare. It's actually quite common. Even some lords will hire their own band of assassins or mercenaries to do what they want them to. And if what she all said was true, then there is indeed a rebel or two here in the castle, ready to go against the king", Cu stated, which was unfortunately heard by Arturia.

"What was that? Were you speaking to me?" she asked the blue-haired male.

"Oh no, I was just saying that if Alodine was right about all that she said then there must be a rebel located somewhere in the army or at least near the castle", he replied.

"Ah, I see. Yes, you are quite right on that statement, but unfortunately I cannot just arrest people otherwise Guinevere would have sentenced Alodine to death for killing innocents even if her story was true. I can do nothing until actual proof is given that the deeds that they allegedly did truly happened."

"Yes, I understand. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. My country holds that same logic", Diarmuid's kin said. King Arturia nodded.

"That also reminds me. Due to more and more rebellions taking place lately, I was going to offer you and any other warrior who came here today to stay here and help me, so long as there is either an alliance or a peace treaty between our two countries."

"Oh, is that right? Well, I'm sure that my king would allow me to stay to help. I would just need you to send him a letter with your Royal Seal stamped on it."

"Oh, let me in on that as well. I would love to stay here to watch my little bro get even stronger everyday too", Zeon spoke from a few seats away. It seemed that all of the other warriors shook their heads to the idea. Arturia nodded.

"Well then, I will send a letter to King Fionn as well as Queen Likenia tonight then. Thank you two for your aid", the king thanked the two.

"Of course", the two warriors said in unison. The feast went on smoothly, and all of the visitors from the other countries enjoyed the delicious food that was set out on the table. It was the best food that they had ever tasted, for they were not used to such divine cuisines. After dessert was done, King Arturia stood up from her seat one last time. "With the feast done, I now thank anyone who came here today and all of the knights who participated in the battle today. You are dismissed. All knights who were selected as well as Zeon and Cu, please follow Gawain. Diarmuid, I would like you to follow me, please", she stated, as she turned to him.

* * *

King Arturia and her new retainer walked through the halls of the castle alone, for nobody else seemed to be lurking around. The two walked silently, neither of them had spoken so far. Finally, Arturia was the one to break the silence. "You know, Diarmuid, before the fight started, Alodine and I agreed that you seemed more of a retainer than a normal warrior, and it turns out that we were correct in thinking that." Diarmuid turned to her with a smile, looking down into her emerald eyes. _What beautiful eyes,_ he thought to himself.

"Yes, Alodine told me when she came into the room where all of the chosen knights were waiting. Which reminds me, does she not get along with people very well? The two times that I have actually heard her speak a full sentence also contained some kind of argument", Diarmuid said. The petite female sighed.

"No, she is more emotionless and hard to anger most of the time, but currently she has been acting up due to the fact that the rebellions keep on happening. And, tonight did not help her one bit either. You see, she doesn't exactly trust Guinevere, nor do I, for many reasons." The tall Irishman looked at the woman, a worried expression on his face.

"You mean, you do not trust the queen? Why is that?"

"You will be made very clear as to why half my generals don't trust her while the other half don't trust me, but for now I will sum it up. Basically, the Royal Court decided that the kingdom was in need of a queen, which was sort of a problem for obvious reasons, so they decided that once my younger brother, Arthur, was mature enough she would be wed to him and have his child. Although both Arthur and Guinevere were against the idea, there were too many who agreed with the option. The only thing Guinevere agreed with was the fact that she would become queen. Well, rebellions soon started after her coronation, and rumors spread saying that she was having a love affair with one of my generals, Sir Lancelot, which was not at all surprising and is also very true. However, as of now we cannot do anything. I cannot accuse her of such an affair, while Alodine and Jeanne have restrictions on their authority that was placed on them by Guinevere's request. The only one who can do something is Gawain, because he has an authority that is above Lancelot's. But, he refuses to believe such rumors", Arturia explained.

"Ah, so that's what General Alodine and Sir Gawain were arguing about earlier. But, what exactly do they have to do with the rebellion?" asked the amber-eyed man, as they continued to walk to wherever they were heading.

"Alodine, Jeanne, Arthur, as well as a few others, and I all believe that it is most likely Guinevere and Lancelot leading the rebellions. The seal on the badge that Alodine threw on the ground belonged to Lancelot, so it was quite a bit more proof that the two are up to everything that's been going on in the Capitol as well as some of the other big cities. Your brother most likely knew what exactly that seal on the badge meant, since he's been a warrior for some time. But as I said, nobody knows, if it truly was Lancelot. It could have also been one of his soldiers, if he said that his soldiers could also command the assassins in the contract. But as I said, nobody knows besides the assassins and Lancelot. So, I can do nothing but watch from the sidelines", the king continued to explain.

"I see. That makes perfect sense. Thank you for explaining that to me, milady", Diarmuid replied with a nod of his head. A giggle could soon be heard from the woman walking beside him. "Is something amusing?"

"No, no, Diarmuid, I was just giggling, because there is no real reason for you to call me "Your Highness" or "milady". Please, call me Arturia. You are my retainer, and I don't want my retainer to be too formal with me. You are going to be at my side for most of your time here, so I would like you to call me by my first name like Alo and Jeanne do", she told him with a small smile. He smiled back at her.

"Alright, if that is what you wish, mi- I mean Arturia", Diarmuid fixed himself, causing Arturia to chuckle. _Man, her laugh is quite cute._

They soon turned left, arriving at a hallway with many sets of double doors. The two walked a bit further and then took yet another left into a wide hallway that was located in the middle of the hall, continuing to walk. They soon arrived in a large room with four sets of large double doors on each side of the room with the largest set of doors located at the wall they faced. "Follow me", Arturia commanded, as she continued to walk a bit further. She soon stopped at the farthest door on the left wall, the one closest to the largest doors on the end. "This will be your room, since you are my personal retainer."

Diarmuid looked at it with surprise and amazement. He did not expect to have such a luxurious room. "Are...are you sure that this room is mine?" he questioned her. She laughed once more and nodded.

"Yes, this is your room, Diarmuid", Arturia told him again. "This room will belong to you until death. Please use it as you see fit." He nodded to her.

"Thank you, milady", the Irishman stated.

"Like I said, I would much rather you call me Arturia."

"Oh, right, my apologies", he replied with a small bow.

"It is quite alright. Well, I better get going to bed. Goodnight, Diarmuid", Arturia told him before giving him a parting smile and walking to her own room. She opened the left hand door to enter, but soon stopped upon hearing Diarmuid's voice.

"Mi- Arturia", he called with a soothing voice that she could just happily fall asleep listening to. She looked at him. "If you are ever distressed about anything such as what you told me, please do not hesitate to come to me for comfort. I would very much enjoy being the one to help comfort you. In fact, it would do me great honor if you ever chose to come to me", he informed her with a genuine smile. The king looked at her knight for a moment before her lips curved into a crescent, its tips facing upward.

"Thank you, Diarmuid. You truly will make a great retainer", she responded happily.

"Thank you. I am glad that you think so", he bowed. Arturia made her way to the entrance of her room, stopping right before entering and looking towards the new warrior. "Goodnight. Sleep well, my knight."

"And you as well, my king", he replied with one more bow before entering his own room.


	5. The French Maiden

_We stand here today honoring the life of Lugh Ua Duibhne,_

_We are also here to honor his love and wife, Deichtine._

_It is a tragedy that we have to see them go._

_Especially since both were such great people._

_May the Lord bless them, as they make their way to the heavens above_

_And may the Lord bless their two sons, who have become orphans within a day_

_Let the whole family have the blessings of Him,_

_And let their fates hold much good fortune._

_The day was rainy, very rainy. The sky thundered, as the bodies that belonged to their father and mother were buried. Tears fell from the eyes of all who watched the event. Once it was all over, everyone made their way home with a depressed expression on their face. Never would they have guessed that Lugh and Deichtine Ua Duibhne would meet their ends on the same day. It could only be described as a tragedy._

_The only ones still standing there were a blue-haired male along with a younger raven-haired boy - the two children of the deceased couple, Cu Chulainn and Diarmuid. The elder boy, Cu, was only sixteen at the time, while his brother beside him even younger with an age of eleven. Cu had his hand placed on Diarmuid's shoulder, as they silently cried. Suddenly, Cu spoke up. "Let's go, Dia. I need to send a letter to Scathach to tell her that I can't go back." Diarmuid looked up at his brother._

" _But, why? Why can't you go back? I can come with you. I want to become a warrior just like you and father", Diarmuid told him, as they started toward their home. The red-eyed man who had grabbed onto his hand a moment before stayed silent for a moment before speaking up. He had seemed angry at first, but he had cooled himself down._

" _No, Diarmuid. I don't want you to become a warrior", the elder sibling told the younger one sternly. Diarmuid stopped in his tracks, causing Cu to look back at him. "What is it?" he asked._

" _Why don't you want me to become a warrior. You did, and father did too, so why can't I?"_

" _I don't want you to, Diarmuid. You see where becoming a warrior led father? Do you want that to happen to you as well? My answer is no, and that is final. I don't want to lose you; I_ won't _lose you", Cu replied, a slightly frustrated tone in his voice._

" _But, Brother!" Diarmuid retorted but was soon interrupted by his kin, whose anger had risen dramatically. But once again Cu calmed himself before speaking and looked down at his brother, a sad expression present._

" _Please, my brother. Whatever you do, do_ not _become a warrior. Don't take the path that Father and I did. I'm begging you. You do not want to follow that path in life. I don't_ want _you to follow that path in life. Please, don't do it. I can't...I can't lose you." Tears started to fall from the ruby red eyes. Cu knew that if he continued to look at his little brother, who still had his heart set on becoming what his brother and their father had become even after their parents' deaths, he would start to cry even more. The man turned, grabbing Diarmuid's arm, and started to forcefully pull him towards their home. He knew that Diarmuid was angry at him. "Whenever we get home, go to your room immediately." Cu's anger was being let out._

" _What, why?!" Diarmuid yelled, as he tried to pull his arm away from his brother's tight grasp but with no success. "I didn't do anything, Cu!"_

" _I don't want to hear you ever say you want to become a warrior again, Diarmuid! That's why! You have to learn that becoming a warrior is not what you want to do in life!"_

" _It's my life, Cu! You can't tell me what I can and can't do! Let my arm go!"_

" _Oh yes, I can! I'm your elder brother and not only that, but I'm your legal guardian now! If I tell you not to become a warrior, you_ won't _become a warrior! If I tell you not to go to the village, you_ don't _go to the village. If I tell you to go to your room, you_ go _to your room! You'll obey me, until you are old enough and smart enough to realize that you_ won't _become a warrior!" Cu was furious, and that fury didn't help Diarmuid one bit. It only caused his own anger at his brother to escalate._

" _Fine, if that's how you're going to be then I might as well continue. I want to become a warrior! I want to become a warrior! I want to become a warrior! In fact, I_ will _become a warrior! I don't give a damn about what you say! I'm not listening to what you say! I'm going to become a warrior, even if it means you hating me in the end. Do you know why? Because, I don't care if you hate me! If you hate me, I'll hate you back!" Diarmuid screamed angrily. Cu just ignored him, continuing to drag him by the arm to their home. The young lad only got more furious. "This isn't fair! I hate you!"_

" _Shut the hell up, Diarmuid", Cu told him, not even turning back to look at the boy._

" _No! You're not being fair! You were allowed to become a warrior, then I should be allowed to too!"_

" _Well, guess what, Diarmuid! Life isn't fair! Life isn't a pot of a gold! I don't care, if it's not fair! I'm not letting you waste your life and become a warrior! The only reason why I'd train you is to teach you how to protect! But, I will not allow you to seek a future as an army knight! I won't! So just shut your damn trap, and give up on trying to persuade me to let you!" the sixteen year-old yelled loudly, pulling on Diarmuid's arm harder. At this, Diarmuid stopped yelling back but soon started to cry. "Now let's go. I have to get that letter done as soon as possible."_

The memory of the day of their parents' funeral played over and over in Cu's head, as he tried to get some sleep. He opened his eyes and looked out of the window, determining that it was most likely two in the morning. The thought of his younger brother dying in battle couldn't leave his mind and continued to haunt him, causing him to not be able to fall asleep. The man sat up and reached into the bag he had brought with him. Reaching into it, he grabbed a map, a hand-torch and his rosary that was specially crafted with rubies and sapphires, given to him before he traveled to the Land of Shadows to train under Scathach by his mother.

He threw on a tight-fitting tunic and some pants, putting the rosary in his pocket, before making his way out of his room. He walked through the halls, making as little sound as possible, and exited the castle. Using a fire rune, he lighted the torch to look at the match. Once finding the place he desired to go to, he followed the path that led there.

It was about a fifteen minute walk from the castle to the location, and once finding it he walked into the holy structure. The Irishman silently opened the door of the church and walked into it after putting out the small fire and folding up the map to put it into the pocket opposite the one that held his rosary. Once closing the door, he realized that there was somebody already in there. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was the French maiden named Jeanne, whom he had met earlier that day.

The beauty looked towards him with her gorgeous, purple eyes. She gave him a small smile with a quiet, "hey". He greeted in response with a smile and a nod, making his way over to the pew she sat in. He walked beside her. "May I sit beside you?" he asked her with a friendly tone. She nodded. In her hands was her own rosary that looked old and worn out, but it seemed that it still had a while to go until she had to get a new one. He took out his own rosary that looked like a luxury compared to her own. Cu saw her eyes widen upon seeing the rosary.

"Um, may-may I look at your rosary?" Jeanne questioned. He smiled at her and handed her the holy item. "Wow, it's so beautiful. When did you get it?" Her voice was soft as to not disturb the peace of the church.

"My mother gave it to me before I travelled to the Land of Shadows to get taught by my master, Scathach, twelve years ago. She had it made specifically for me, and I've brought it everywhere I went ever since", Cu explained. She nodded.

"It must be very special to you. Mine isn't that special. It used to be my mother's, and my mother got it from her mother, so it's just an old rosary. But, it works", Jeanne replied.

"Hey, it seems special to me, if it was passed down through three generations", Cu commented. The Frenchwoman giggled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. Anyway, what are you praying for? Or, are you just praying the rosary at two in the morning?" she asked, grinning at the man beside her.

"No, I'm praying for my brother; you know, asking the Lord to help in protecting him. He's all I have left, and I don't want to lose him."

"You have no wife?" Jeanne asked. Her voice was becoming a soft whisper.

"Nope, I've never had the time to find a good wife for me, so I don't have one. So, what about you? What are you up at two in the morning praying for?" Cu asked her. The female smiled and looked down at her rosary.

"I'm praying for everyone in the army, but I'm praying for Arturia and Alodine mostly. They're always so busy and distressed. And, Alodine is always sent onto the battlefield, so I'm always worried about her safety", she explained. "And the reason I'm praying for them at two in the morning is because every time I would fall asleep I would end up getting a nightmare and waking up, so I thought the best way to get rid of them was to come here and pray."

"That sucks. I hope they go away", Cu told her, a sympathetic smile on his face. Jeanne smiled at the man's kindness, happy to have met such a man. Most men she meets normally tell her that she should just go back and work on the farm, if she can't take the fact that there will always be a chance of her friends dying in battle.

"Thank you, Sir Cu, was it?", the Frenchwoman asked, making sure that she got his name write. He nodded in response before turning his head to the rosary, starting to pray it, as did Jeanne. They sat in silence for a long moment, before Cu felt something, mana, coming from outside the doors of the church. "Is something wrong, Sir Cu?" asked Jeanne worriedly.

"Do you feel that?" he questioned her, as he looked towards the doors of the church. The maiden nodded slightly.

"I feel something, but I am not exactly sure as to what it is", she informed him. "Do you know what it is?"

Cu nodded. "It's mana, no doubt, and a _lot_ of it. Someone is surrounding the church", he told Jeanne, whose eyes widened in worry. "Come on; we should get out of here. They'll probably come inside, if we don't leave. We won't be able to get back to the castle, if they do. I know you're worried about King Arturia and General Alodine's lives, but right now we need to worry about our own. Come on; follow me. I'll protect you", the blue-haired male stated, standing up and stretching out his hand to help her get up after putting his rosary back in his pocket.

Jeanne stared at him for a moment before nodding; she then put her holy object in the small pouch she carried, and took his hand, standing up. She saw Cu grab torch and light it with a rare form of magic she had never seen before and then use the same type of magic to create a circle around them. "Don't worry. I'm only using these to protect us. Now, let's go. We have to hurry back. Take my hand; I don't want us to be separated." Without hesitation, the short blonde took the male's hand, before they started to walk toward the exit. "Run", Cu told her.

The two ran quickly out of the church, hand in hand. They heard the clank of the armor hitting the ground behind them. It sounded light, telling them that their attackers were assassins. Once reaching a path, Cu felt more mana coming from their right, so they took the left path, which was luckily the path that led to the castle. The two looked behind them to see a mixture of mercenaries and assassins chasing after them, the assassins readying their bows as they ran.

Cu, desperate to lose them, made another fire rune and shot it towards them, blocking their path and causing a fire to erupt from the ground. Jeanne and the Irishman continued to run toward the castle, until the maiden's hand slipped out of his. He looked toward her, seeing her on the ground holding her ankle. She must have tripped on the large branch behind her, and sprained her ankle.

Remembering the promise he made about protecting her, he picked her up bridal style and kept on running. "Cu", she whispered, surprised that he didn't even hesitate for a minute before picking her up. He smiled but still kept his eyes in front of him.

"I promised to keep you safe, so that's what I'm going to do", he told her, honesty in his voice as he continued to follow the path.

* * *

Alodine abruptly awakened from her slumber, shaking and hyperventilating. Looking towards the man beside her and declared that he was in a heavy state of sleeping, she got up from her bed and quickly made her way out to the living room. Sitting on her legs by the fireplace, her hands shook, as she tried to use a fire rune. But unfortunately, she was unable to due to the rapid quivering of her hand and her whole body. Starting to breathe faster, she tried again, but was once again unsuccessful.

She tried again and again and again, until her shaking made it impossible for her to even start a rune. Her head became light, and she started to feel somewhat dizzy. Suddenly, a fire started in front of her, and she realized that Zoal must have noticed that she was not in bed anymore. He lighted the cigarette he held in his hand and gave it to Alo, who took it quickly and started to smoke. The general's shaking finally stopped, as she took a couple breaths of smoke. The quivering finally stopped, as she calmed down. Finally after a few moments of her trying to get her breathing back to normal, she told Zoal, "thank you". Her voice was a whisper, for she did not want to wake the sleeping girl in the other room that was located in her living area.

Zoal stayed silent for a moment before sitting beside the woman. "You need to go to Merlin to help stop those", he said, causing Alo to shake her head.

"I don't need help, Zoal. It's-" Zoal cut his master off before she could finish the sentence.

"Fine? You've been telling me that ever since I first realized that you have these panic attacks at least once every night, and that was ten years ago, Alo. You need to go to Merlin to help fix this."

"No, Zoal. I am fine. I am used to them", Alodine stated, trying not to speak too loudly.

"No you aren't, Alo. You just think so, because it's become natural for you to have-" Zoal's ears and head perked up, turning toward the window. He got up and went to the opening in the wall, only to see smoke erupting from somewhere near where the church was.

"What is it, Zoal?" the strawberry-blonde asked him, as she stood up from her spot and made her way to the window. "I can't see anything. My sight isn't very good, so what is it?"

"Smoke is coming from the area near the church", the black-haired man informed the woman beside him. Her eyes widened in surprise, realizing that there would only be one reason why it would be on fire.

"The rebels are trying to kill Jeanne", she declared, as she ran out of her room to go see if Jeanne's living space was accessible, which it was. Alodine walked in and entered her room, only to realize that Jeanne was gone and the rosary that was always placed beside her bed gone as well. "Dammit, Jeanne. Zoal, put on your cloak and get going. I'll wake Arturia and Diarmuid up."

Zoal nodded at the command and soon made his way to the exit of the castle. Alodine knocked loudly on Arturia's door to make her wake up. The king opened the door, a worried expression on her face. "Alo, what is going on?" Her voice was filled with worry, knowing that a knock at half an hour passed two in the morning was not good.

"The woods surrounding the church is on fire. The rebels are trying to kill Jeanne", the general bluntly explained to her king. Just as Alo's had done, Arturia's eyes widened, as she grabbed her sword and ran toward Diarmuid's door and knocked on it to wake her new retainer up. Within a minute, Diarmuid opened the door, looking wide awake.

"What is wrong, Arturia?" he asked her.

"We need to get to the woods that is located by the church. The rebels went into it knowing that Jeanne was in there and went to go kill her. We have to hurry. Don't even bother putting your armor on", Arturia told him. The Irishman nodded and followed close behind her after starting towards the wooded area. "Alo, go wake the new warriors up, as well as Zeon and Cu."

"Yes, Arturia", the general nodded before making her way toward the Hall of the Warriors.

* * *

It took about a half hour before everyone who had been ordered to the woods made it there, Zeon and Ottoman being the last ones to arrive. "Diarmuid", Ottoman called to his friend worriedly.

"What is it, Ottoman?"

"We can't find Cu anywhere. We checked his room, but he wasn't in there", the orange-haired male told the Irishman. His head darted toward the woods, grunting.

"I knew I recognized that type of fire. He must be in there as well and used a fire rune", he stated.

"That definitely is rune magic, alright", Alodine agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised, if he used it to slow down the rebels. He most likely doesn't have any weapons on him, so there's no doubt he would use runes for protection and to attack back."

"What do we propose we do, Your Highness?" Manning asked the king, wondering what they were supposed to do exactly. The king sighed, obviously distressed. Opening her mouth to answer, a loud crack sounded from a nearby tree. The tree was large and would definitely block the path. Gasping, she turned away, not wanting to see the plant fall down and cause her best friend's death. Arturia looked toward Diarmuid, who had a troubled expression on his face.

"Do you...do you think they'll make it out in time, Diarmuid?" she asked him in a quiet voice. His amber eyes darted towards her, and then he gave a not-so-reassuring smile.

"Don't worry; they'll-" _Crack._ The two looked toward the tree, only to be horrified to see that it was falling to the ground. There was a loud boom that erupted from it. Nobody, with the exception of Alodine and Zoal, looked at the blocked path. Arturia didn't want to look. She didn't want to believe that her best friend, whom she had known for years, was trapped in the fire.

"Arturia", she heard Alodine say.

"I-I don't want to look, Alo", the blonde replied.

"No, _look_ ", the woman told her. And then suddenly, she heard a noise. Deep breathing coming from someone – a male. She turned her head toward the noise to see Cu Chulainn carrying Jeanne in a bridal fashion. He was sweaty and yet he didn't even look that tired at all. The only thing that made him seem tired was the breaths he took. Arturia caught a glance at Diarmuid, who was frozen in amazement.

Arturia stood there for a moment before running towards the man and the woman, who had scratches and dirt all over them. "Jeanne!" she called to her friend, as Cu set her on the ground.

Jeanne seemed to have ignored Arturia completely and turned to Cu. "Are we safe?" the maiden questioned, to which he gave a handsome, thankful smile. He nodded in response.

"Yeah, we're safe. Are you unharmed with the exception of your ankle?" The violet-eyed woman nodded. The smile on Cu's face grew slightly. His red eyes were beautiful from her angle.

"I'm fine", Jeanne clarified.

Cu gave her a caring expression and nodded once more. "I'm glad that you're alright."


	6. Training Begins

So, you want to hear of my training, Dia?

Well, let me tell you.

It wasn't easy.

Training was brutal.

Training always is brutal.

But training is what makes you become a better warrior,

A better guardian, a better man, and most of all a better person

So please Dia, never stop getting stronger.

"You have to be more careful, Jeanne. If Sir Cú was not with you, you would most likely not be here right now. Either that or you would be much more injured than what you are now", Arturia scolded her best friend, who sat with her head hung in shame. It was obvious she felt bad for running off to the church, but she felt that it needed to be done to get rid of her nightmares. The Frenchwoman gradually raised her head and looked at the King, who had a worried expression on her face.

"I know, but I thought that it would be fine. The church is only a couple of minutes away, so I thought that if I was in trouble I could easily get back to the castle. If I would have known that the rebels were out to kill me, I wouldn't have went. But, I had no idea. Why are they even seeking to kill me anyway?" the blonde asked, her purple eyes sad and shameful. "I mean, I get why the rebels would want to be rid of Alo, but what do I have to do with anything?" Arturia couldn't answer the question Jeanne had asked her. It was true that Jeanne didn't have anything to do with anything in the castle. It was more like she was just there to support. There were some times where she was the general for a battalion and led the troops onto the battlefield, but it wasn't enough to get her as renowned as what Gawain, Arthur, Zoal, and Alodine were.

"They're after you, because you're Arturia's best friend. And if they get rid of you, they believe that Arturia will be weakened by despair. It's always been said that emotional damage is the worst kind of damage, and I can't help but agree", the voice of the female general spoke from the door. The two women looked toward her, as she took a seat in the Royal Conference Room. "How's that ankle of yours doing?" Alo questioned, sitting back in the chair. Jeanne sighed.

"I have to wait three weeks for it to heal. I didn't want them to heal it with magic, so it has to heal naturally", Jeanne answered. There was a moment's pause before she spoke again. "So, how much trouble do you think Sir Cú will be in for setting the woods on fire?" Alodine tilted her head to the table, resting her eyes.

"In my opinion, I don't think he will be in any, if the Royal Court declares that his actions were only for the good of saving you. In fact, they'll probably reward him with a higher position, if they do declare that he was only doing it to save you. You are rather important here, so saving you is no small matter. But as I said, that's just my opinion. We have no idea what the Royal Court is going to say until everyone gets here. And we all know that Guinevere will probably want to execute him for him or something of the such", the general replied, causing Jeanne to gasp.

"Do you think that they'll really believe that Sir Cú just set the woods on fire just to set it on fire?" Her voice held unsettlement in it. Arturia soon spoke up.

"Do not worry, Jeanne. I will not let that happen to him. I do not want that to happen either, and I'm sure Diarmuid would not be very happy if the Court decided to hang his elder brother just for helping you either. So, do not worry yourself. I will make sure that he is rewarded for his actions. He deserves it. I would not know what I would have done, if I would have lost you", the green-eyed female reassured her friend, a slight grin appearing on her face. Jeanne smiled at her, happy to know that nothing would happen to the handsome male.

Suddenly, the one they were just speaking of as well as his little brother and the other new warriors entered the room. Soon after, Zeon and Zoal entered, Zeon sitting beside Ottoman and Zoal sitting beside Alo. Cú, who sat beside Jeanne, looked obviously distressed. "You only set the woods on fire to help get them off your tail, Brother. You were completely justified in doing so", Diarmuid, located the seat beside Arturia's, told the older Irishman. The male pointed his red eyes at his brother.

"I know that, but I'm still worried that they won't believe my story", he responded, as he held his head up with his hand.

"There is no need to stress yourself out about that, Sir Cú. You saved my life and for that I am very grateful. And, I will show my gratitude by making sure that nothing will happen to you as punishment. Am I correct on this, Arturia?" Jeanne looked toward the king, wanting to clarify that nothing would happen to him. Arturia nodded.

"That is correct. I will make sure to guarantee your safety and your position here. And I must admit, you were very brave to have protected her. Most soldiers would have left her to die after she tripped, but you went back and carried her out. But not only that, you are not even a soldier of this army. You just protected her out of sheer kindness", she told him. Cú bobbed his head, although he still didn't feel near calm at all.

Within a few seconds, the people of the Royal Court walked into the room, among them was Queen Guinevere. The door of the room was closed behind them, as they started the meeting. Arturia was the one to start it. "Thank you everybody for coming to this meeting so early in the morning, but it seems that the rebels are now starting to send assassins to kill not only Alodine but Jeanne as well as all of you should know already."

"Yes, and we also heard that that dog sitting beside her set the woods on fire as well, which is why we are here", Guinevere spoke up sourly.

"That is not the only reason we are here. We are here to discuss the actions we need to take to slow the rebellions down. In recent events, they have gotten to be the worst that they have ever been, and these rebellions have been happening for years. We have taken a few courses of action to slow them down, but we may start having to take drastic measures to stop them. Within twenty-four hours, both Alodine and Jeanne were targeted by assassins. We have to start taking this rebellion much more seriously. We cannot sit back and let them continue any longer", Arturia declared. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I agree with you, Sister", Arthur agreed. "But for now, I think we should discuss Sir Cú setting the woods on fire. We shall discuss our course of action against the rebels sometime tomorrow, if that is alright with you." Arturia nodded.

"That is fine. We all need our sleep, so it would be best if we made this meeting as short as possible", she agreed. "Now for the matter in hand, I suggest that we reward Sir Cú for his brave actions. Without him, Jeanne would have probably been killed", the king suggested to the Court, to which they fortunately agreed.

"I agree that Sir Cú should be rewarded for his actions. I propose that he should be promoted to being Jeanne's guardian. Now that we know that the rebels are after her, we need someone to be protecting her at all times. Would this idea be problematic?" Gawain spoke suddenly. Arturia looked towards him, giving him a light smile. It was evident that she thought the idea good. Jeanne glimpsed toward Cú, who sat up straight in his seat not wanting to speak up and get into any trouble, with a slight blush on her face.

"That is a very good idea. Are there any other suggestions?" None spoke up, telling Arturia that Gawain's idea was in fact a wonderful one. "Alright then, all in favor say 'I'" Everyone, including Jeanne, but one favored the idea. Of course, the one who didn't agree was the queen. "Is something wrong with this action, Quinevere?"

"No, nothing at all. I just don't think that it is necessary to have someone near Jeanne at all times. She is very capable of protecting herself", the queen answered.

"I do agree with that, but I do think that it would be good to have Sir Cú protecting her. He is a renowned warrior who we all know we can trust in protecting her. Just because she can protect herself doesn't mean that we can't have someone there to guard her just in case. And we cannot forget that Jeanne does not believe in the taking of others' lives. So even if she can protect herself, she will not go so far as to kill her attackers", Alodine replied, causing Guinevere to shoot her eyes toward the woman.

"I'm sorry, but I was speaking to the Court, not to you low-life", she told her. The general looked at the queen.

"Do not forget that I am part of this Royal Court as well. And not only that, but I have been here much longer than you. You may be the queen, but you will not have a true queen's authority until Arthur becomes king and you two are married", Alo informed her. Nobody said anything. Guinevere was obviously angry at the cursed woman, but she knew that what Alo had said was true. On a social hierarchy, Alodine would be higher than Guinevere due to her experience and years in the Royal Court even with Guinevere being queen.

"I am sorry, Guinevere. But, I must agree with General Alodine. We cannot be too cautious with this rebellion, and even if you don't agree the number of people on board with Sir Cú becoming Jeanne's guardian is much higher than the number of people not on board", said Arturia, as she looked towards the queen. There was silence for a small moment before the short blonde continued. "With the voting all done, from now on I declare that Sir Cú will be the guardian of Jeanne d'Arc. Everyone in favor of ending this meeting say 'I'." The members of the Royal Court all said "I". "The meeting is now adjourned."

The people of the Royal Court soon made their ways toward their rooms, leaving the warriors and Arturia in the room. "I am sorry to have made you be a part of this meeting for no reason. I wanted you all here just in case if they wanted some witnesses to back up the fact that Sir Cú really did save Jeanne", Arturia apologized. The warriors nodded. "You are dismissed. Cú, Jeanne, Alodine, and of course you as well Diarmuid, I would like the lot of you to stay here for a bit longer."

Chilla, Long, Weston, Manning, Zoal, Zeon, and Ottoman exited the room, Zeon and Ottoman giving the two Duibhne brothers wide smiles and thumbs up. "You are not against this, are you Sir Cú?" the young royal asked the blue-haired warrior. He shook his head and pointed his vision towards her.

"I am not. I will do anything you tell me to do. As long as I am here, I will follow your orders and commands", Cú replied honestly.

"Wonderful, you are dismissed then. Now that you are to be her guardian and to be always at her side, you will be sleeping in Jeanne's living space for as long as you are her retainer. She has an open bedroom for you to sleep in." Cú nodded. "You are dismissed as well, Jeanne." The two got up from their seats and left. After the two left, Arturia sat down in her seat, sighing audibly. She could see Cú helping Jeanne walk, for her right ankle was still in a great amount of pain.

"Should I leave as well, Arturia? I already know what you are going to say, so there is no reason for me to stay."

"Yes Alo, but just try not to back-talk to Guinevere too much. I know you know about the love affair she is having with Sir Lancelot, but we cannot do anything about it right now. All we can do is try to find some evidence of her and Lancelot being behind these rebellions", King Britain told her general. "I also wanted to tell you that you are to report to the village southeast from here when you wake up. You've been there before, so I'm sure you'll find it. There have been reports of bandits who are a part of the rebellion. I would like for you to bring some men along with you to lock them up here. We may be able to get some information out of them."

"Alright, I will be sure to do that", Alo responded, standing from her seat. "Sleep well, Arturia". The strawberry blonde then left. Once again, a heavy sigh could be heard from the obviously distressed king. Diarmuid looked at her for a moment, before she lifted her head and looked at him.

"My apologies, Diarmuid. It's just that right now is a very stressful time. The rebellion has gotten much, much worse within the past few months, and now I'll have to start worrying about who else the rebels are going to go after. I'm half tempted to just tell Alodine to command the other generals to break their contracts with the assassins", she told him, as she laid her head down on the table. Diarmuid was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I'm sure that it is quite stressful being king", he started. "But I'm sure that you'll make it through. I have not known you for very long, but I am confident that you will make the right choices in the future. And remember, if you ever need anything just seek me out, alright? That's what I'm here for, that and protecting you." King Arturia looked up at him, seeing an encouraging smile on his face. She returned the kind gesture.

"Thank you, Diarmuid. I am glad that I chose you to be my retainer", she replied truthfully. With one more smile, she told him, "well then, let's make our way back to our rooms."

Cú walked through the halls with General Gawain walking beside him, He was told to go collect his things to move into the extra room in Jeanne's living area. The two were silent, as they walked through the passageways of the castle. After a few minutes, Cú finally spoke up. "So, this is where the famed 'warrior of Katanta' made her way to?"

"Yep, she made her way here seven years ago along with Sir Zoal. All we know is that she came from Katanta after the former queen, Marie, was assassinated and that she was the highest rank general of that army", Gawain informed him, to which Cú nodded in response.

"Yes, I heard that she escaped Katanta a few years back which doesn't surprise me speaking that it is her. I cannot tell you how many stories all of the innkeepers told of her strength", he replied, remembering all of the tales of "the warrior of Katanta".

"Hmph, I must admit that she truly is a very dangerous woman. Most of those stories are a huge understatement of her strength. Ever since she became general, we've never lost a battle. Hell, once she was attacked by a rather infamous band of mercenaries, and she defeated them all without getting a scratch. I swear she's a god or something. That kind of strength and intelligence is abnormal", Gawain responded, as he looked at the male next to him. Suddenly, the blonde man realized something. "Wait a second, how did you know that she was the former general of the Katantan army?"

"Her arm and her axe gave it away. 'And with her cursed left arm, she wields the legendary axe, Demontal, which was said to have been crafted by the Demon Queen, Demontalla, herself.' That was what I always heard from the innkeepers I met during my time of being a warrior. At the time, I didn't believe it was true, but now I know that the stories were not false one bit", Cú stated. Gawain nodded, as they entered the Royal Hall. "Is this where my brother and Jeanne are at? Shit, I wasn't expecting it to be this luxurious."

"Yeah, this is where only the highest ranked are placed, and now that you are Jeanne's retainer you are placed here as well. Follow me." The white-clad warrior led Cú to the first door on the left. "This is where Jeanne stays. You are to stay here for the rest of your time here. Any questions?" The Irishman shook his head. "Alright then, goodnight."

"You too", Cú said to the man, before Gawain made his way back to his room. Reluctantly, he walked up to the door and grabbed the handle, turning it and opening the door quietly. Upon entering inside, he saw Jeanne sitting at the table with her head resting on her folded arms. Her eyes were closed, indicating that she was either resting or sleeping. The warrior walked up to her and set his bag on the table, trying to make as little of noise as possible. "Lady Jeanne", he whispered softly to her, as he gently shook her. She did not wake up however, so he tried again with no success.

Deciding that it was most likely useless to try to wake her, he lifted her off the chair slowly and walked into a nearby room, which luckily was her's since there were decorations hung on the walls and placed on the tables. Walking to the bed, he placed her on it and covered her up with the blankets. The sight of her snuggling the sheets warmed Cú's heart, as he left the room.

He walked to the table, grabbing his bag, and made his way to the other room that was located on the left side of the living area. The room was large like Jeanne's but wasn't decorated, only having a bedside table and a bed with plain-looking sheets unlike the extravagant ones on the other bed. Setting his stuff down and getting into his sleepwear, Cú crawled in bed and rested his eyelids, soon letting sleep overpower him.

Arturia exited the room where the war meeting was held, to find Diarmuid standing outside the door. "I was told to come here and wait for you to be done", he explained, noticing his king's surprise at finding him there. She nodded slightly. She was obviously not in a happy mood. "May I ask what the matter is, Arturia? Did something happen in there?" the Irishman asked her worriedly. To the question, the short female hesitated before answering.

"We had to ask Liken and Katanta for aid in fighting off this rebellion. The Rebel Army is getting much, much bigger, and I don't know how strong they are so it's better to be safe than sorry", she replied.

"I thought that Liken was in a period of complete neutrality right now. Do you really think that they'll help?"

"Luckily, I know Queen Likenia personally, so I think that she will be so kind enough to lend her army to us. Katanta, however, is the one I'm worried about. I heard that there is a new king sitting on the throne, and the problem is that I am not acquainted with him yet. He may help us or he may not. Only time will tell." Diarmuid nodded.

"Sorry to change the subject, but how is Jeanne doing from last night? I haven't seen her or my brother since", he said.

"She's doing fine. She just has to rest for a couple of weeks, so you probably won't see your brother in a while. But, you probably wouldn't see him a lot anyway in these next few weeks, since you have to start your training. I was going to have Alo train you this morning, but she has not gotten back from arresting the bandits from that village yet, so I am having Zoal and Merlin teach you all that you need to know for today. When she gets back, Alodine will be training you. And don't worry, you will not be alone. The other newcomers will be training with you as well, but they will be trained by someone else", Arturia informed him. Diarmuid looked towards her.

"Are there different things that I have to know that normal army warriors have to know?"

"Yes, you are going to spend your time protecting me and staying by my side. That means that unless you have to find me on a battlefield or you are commanded, you will not go out and fight with a battalion." There was a small moment of silence before they arrived at the training hall. The area was large with a dirt floor to make the fights more realistic. One area was covered in grass, another covered in mud, another covered in quicksand, and each section had its own weather patterns.

Diarmuid stared in awe at the brilliance and complexity of the room. "That weather is to allow new recruits to get used to different kinds of conditions, so they know what they are getting into when they walk onto the battlefield. For every day for the next two months, you will be positioned here. After those two months are over, you will be placed up against one of the generals to do defeat in a mock battle. If you succeed in defeating them, you will be at my side protecting me. But if you are not able to win the battle, you will be placed here for another two months until you are ready to protect. Now if you do not need anything, then I wish you good luck", Arturia told him before turning around to leave.

"Thank you, milady", Diarmuid replied with a bow.

Suddenly, she looked towards the Irish lancer once more. "Do not disappoint me, warrior of Britain." Without another word, she left him, standing outside of the training hall. He was silent, just standing there, for a small moment before turning back to the hall and walking inside. Soon, he heard the sound of Ottoman's voice. "Diarmuid", the Likenian called out to him. "I was hoping to talk to you a bit, but it seems that we won't have the time until after training."

"It seems like it", Diarmuid agreed, noticing that General Gawain, Zoal, and a young-looking man with a white robe and hair that looked as if it was the color of the rainbow when the sun shined on it were walking towards them. The three veteran warriors stopped in front of the rookies.

"Today will be your first day of training. You will learn all the necessary information you need to become a warrior. Diarmuid, you will be learning all the things you need to know from Merlin and Alodine when she returns, but today, since she is not here, you will be learning from Zoal instead. The rest of you follow me", Gawain announced, as he started to walk towards one of the many sections of the training hall.

The ones who were left, the man who wore the white cloak and the other who wore a hat that covered the top of his head, looked toward the raven-haired Irishman. Soon, the man called Zoal spoke up. Diarmuid noted that his voice was rather deep. Although he had heard it the day before, he never realized how low the tone was. The man smelled like a wolf or some kind of wild dog, giving a rather intimidating impression. "If you are not aware of who I am, the name's Zoal Zeokill, subordinate and retainer of Alodine. I am also a general of the British army."

The man beside him, the one with the cloak and the shining hair, then spoke up. "And, I am Merlin, Court Magus of King Arturia. Although I am not a general of the army, I do help a lot with tactics and such among many other things", Merlin introduced. "It is an honor meeting." Diarmuid then bowed to the magus.

"Please, the honor is all mine." Merlin let out a laugh.

"What a polite man, I like him already", the man chuckled. The wizard then faced the tall man to his left. "I believe that we are ready to head to Alo's personal training grounds, if you would be so kind to lead the way. I always find myself forgetting where it is, silly me."

"Alright then, please follow me." The new retainer nodded, following the two other males toward a door located on the wall opposite them. Zoal opened it, revealing that the door led to the outside, and started toward a small building that seemed to be another training hall of some sort.

Upon entering the building, Diarmuid could see a young woman, who looked about sixteen, cleaning a rather unwieldy-looking axe. She suddenly looked up. Picking up the axe, putting it into the large sheath on her back, and standing up, she smiled at Zoal. "Ah hello, Zoal. Hello, Merlin. Is this man here the one who King Arturia picked as her retainer?" The very tall, black-haired, red-eyed man whom she was speaking to nodded.

"Yes, this is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. Alo, Merlin, and I will be training him for the next month or however long it takes for him to be ready to walk out onto a battlefield as the guardian and retainer of King Arturia", he explained. The girl nodded. Her long, curly hair was a dark violet-red color, and her eyes were the color of autumn brown. There were a few freckles on her nose and cheeks, giving her a young look. She walked up to Diarmuid and offered him a hand to shake.

"I'm Felicity Telion. I'm Alodine's student. She's been training me ever since she saved me from Montalonean soldiers who attacked my village in Katanta when I was only nine years old", the small female, who only stood about 4'10", introduced. The much taller Irishman looked down at her, giving her a warm smile.

"As Zoal said, I am Diarmuid. I came here from Ireland with my brother, Cú Chulainn", he replied, as he shook her hand. Felicity giggled.

"Oh, really? I have heard many stories of your brother's strength and such. I look forward to see what you are capable of in battle", she responded with a sweet, girly voice that reminded Diarmuid of the birds that sang to him every morning in the summer back in Ireland. The man smiled at her and nodded, pointing his eyes to her.

"And, you as well, Lady Felicity." She let out her sweet-sounding laugh once more. Felicity then turned to Zoal with a warm grin on her face. "So, what did Alo have you assign to us for today. I'm sure something not very brutal, speaking that it's Diarmuid's first day." Zoal shook his head, causing Diarmuid to start to worry about what kind of training he would be put through.

"Today will be both a running and survival exercise. This exercise will mainly be focused on endurance, agility, and over all speed as well as a few other things that you two will learn of during it. Your assignment is simple. The both of you will be given a small piece of parchment that gives you a clue on where to go. It is your duty to figure out where exactly in the castle or within the castle grounds the next piece of parchment is. Each paper will have a number written on it to make sure you know that the card you grabbed was correct.

The cards are also color coded. Diarmuid, your cards are written in green ink, while yours are written in magenta, Felicity. When you have found each and every one of your cards, there will be a flag as well as a chest filled with all kinds of different rewards placed at the last checkpoint, meaning that you succeeded in getting to your goal. Also, Diarmuid take these; Felicity, you take these", he told them, as he handed Diarmuid a gold spear, dagger, and sword and Felicity a silver axe, dagger, and blade. Zoal then continued his explanation.

"These weapons are the ones that you will be using. They are magically crafted to not create wounds but instead go straight through the body, leaving only a magic line that stays there until you receive a fatal one. The lines symbolize the real wounds that you would be getting in battle. If you receive a fatal wound or if it's at the time that you would most likely bleed to death, your weapons will turn red and an inscription will be magically written, telling you where to go. That place is also the place where you will find the flags.

And of course, there will be many obstacles of which we will not tell you, because whenever you're on the battlefield the only thing you'll really know is that the enemy is out to kill you. There are no warnings beforehand, unless a spy brings back info which is quite rare. So, you will not be informed of what kind of obstacles will be appearing in your training exercise.

Any questions? None? Alright then, here are your first cards. You are now dismissed to go find your cards. I wish all the luck to the both of you", Zoal finally dismissed. The two looked at each other, offering a small good luck and soon looked at their cards. Diarmuid read the neat handwriting on the card – The exiting of a queen. Looking at it closer making sure he read it right, the Irishman wondered what the hell the card meant.

A few minutes passed until a light bulb finally flickered in his mind. He remembered something. Yesterday, the queen was told to leave the feast. Maybe the next card is somewhere in the room where the feast was held, he thought, starting to run toward the room.

Alright, so the first room I have to go to is the Royal Hall, Felicity thought to herself, as she ran through the halls of the castle and towards the location where "The royal's rest" was located. Luckily, she knew every single place of the castle unlike Diarmuid who had only been there for a single night. She wondered where Alo wanted him to go.

She thought for a moment, before suddenly realizing that she was not paying attention to what all was located in front of her. Unfortunately, she learned this the hard way as she always did and ended up falling to the ground on her stomach. "Ow", she whined quietly. Glad Alo isn't here. She always calls me out on being as clumsy as I am.

"Oi, do you need any help there?" a male's voice sounded from behind her. "I saw you-" The voice stopped in the middle of the sentence, causing Felicity to realize that the short skirt that she was wear must have gone above her backside when she fell thus showing her small underclothes.

A blush came upon her face just as a small breeze comes upon the air during a warm sunny day. She looked back to see an orange-haired lad with light green eyes. The man wore black and yellow armor, telling her that he must have been one of the new recruits that was being trained by General Gawain for he did not have any of the armor or clothes given to the troops in the army. And inside his hand, he held a gold spear. The sheath belt he wore also held a gold dagger, a gold sword, and gold arrows for the bow that was placed on his back.

The man had a blush on his face, as he looked down at her. He was frozen in his footsteps, for he wasn't expecting the sight he was seeing. "AH! YOU PERVERT!" the girl screamed, standing up and taking the real axe out of the sheath on her back.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT; I DIDN'T MEAN TO SEE ANYTHING I SWEAR!" the male yelled unfortunately too late, for Felicity wasn't listening to him. Taking her axe, she then hit him in the face with the cheek of the very large weapon, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Felicity then quickly ran the other direction trying to get away from him, leaving the man in the dust to make sure his jaw or nose wasn't broken or out of place.

"Holy shit, that hurt. It was only an accident. Why the fuck did she have to do that for?" the green-eyed male, Ottoman, asked himself. "Shiit, dammit, that's going to leave a huge mark tomorrow. Ugh, it's going to feel like hell sleeping tonight." Ottoman then stood up and grabbed the spear that he had dropped on the floor a moment earlier from the hit. "Man, how strong is that girl?"

"Wait a second, she had silver weapons meaning that she's in the contest too. That means Diarmuid is probably a part of it as well. I have to find him", the Likenian stated to himself, as he began to look for his friend.

The sound of a spoon tapping against a teacup sounded, as the winds of the Garden of Dance theater sounded with it, making it seem like nature was writing a song. "Mm, you make good tea, Sir Cú", the young Frenchwoman complimented the male, who smiled in return.

"I am glad you think so, milady. Although, you know that you do not need to add a formality to my name. I am your retainer, which means that we should be getting used to each other just as Diarmuid and King Arturia are doing", Cú informed her. Jeanne set the cup down, looking at Cú with a sweet look on her face. She then shook her head at him.

"I will only stop calling you Sir Cú, if you stop calling me 'milady' or 'Lady Jeanne'. Do we have a deal?" The man sitting across from her sighed, then aimed his ruby red eyes toward her. Smiling, he nodded his head in agreement. "Wonderful, so did you hear that Diarmuid started his training this morning?" Cú lifted his head and looked at her once more, for he had turned his attention to the table a moment before.

"No, I haven't been able to see him since the event that occurred last night. Do you know who he is being trained by?" he asked the blonde female. She shook her head.

"I do not, although I would imagine that he would be being trained by Alodine, Zoal, and Merlin. And if he is being trained by those three, I have to feel sorry for him. Alodine and Zoal are rather brutal with their training", Jeanne stated. Cú suddenly chuckled. "Is something funny, Cú?" The blue-haired male shook his head.

"No, no, I'm just imagining the look of surprise on Dia's face when he realizes how brutal training really is, especially when an even more brutal woman is training you. He always used to make fun of me about how I was so worn out and such a wimp whenever I was done training myself or if I had a mock battle with a formidable opponent. And yes, I did train him, but it was only offensive training for a small period of time while the rest was mostly for guarding and protecting", Cú replied. Jeanne looked confused. "I didn't want him to take the same fate as me, so I started training him to protect when he turned twelve. That's when I gave him his spears and swords. But, I had no choice but to train him to fight as a warrior would when he signed up for the Battle for Knighthood."

A sad smile worked its way onto Jeanne's lips. She understood what her guardian was saying. She could relate to not wanting someone close to her becoming a warrior, or in their case a king, even if it meant a short life. A nod of agreement from the short 23 year-old is what caught the man's attention once more. "I understand exactly how you feel. I, myself, never wanted Arturia to become king and neither did Gawain, Merlin, or even Alodine. We knew that if she became king then she would not be a human anymore. To be king, you basically have to throw away all of your emotions, morals, and ideals and do what's right for your country no matter if it costs you a loved one, a whole battalion, or even your life. To be king, you have to kill everyone to save everyone. When she pulled Caliburn out of the stone, she was pronounced king and had to live by those ideals no matter if she didn't want to or not. The sword also stopped her from aging which is the reason why she looks so young", she explained to the male, who looked at her with a sorry expression.

She soon continued. "And her becoming king and taking on those ideals is part of the reason why both Alodine and me are here. Our job is make sure that she does not become inhumane and emotionless just as other kings and warriors have become in the past. And now that Diarmuid is here, maybe our job will become a little easier." Her voice cracked a little, as she thought about what Arturia would be like if she and Alo were not there to keep her sane. Cú seemed to have noticed this, causing him to look at her with worry. He then spoke.

"Do not worry, Jeanne. She will not become inhumane so long as you and Alo are here to prevent that from happening, and I will make sure that you are safe at all times although I cannot do anything to protect Alodine. But luckily, she is most definitely strong enough to protect herself", Cú reassured her. Jeanne looked at him with a blank expression for a moment before giving him a wide smile. She was thankful for his support. She was thankful that he was the one chosen to protect her. She was thankful for him being there.

"Th-thank you, Cú." The man gave her a welcoming smile, glad that she was back to being happy. "But changing the subject, how do you like the Garden of Dance? It is beautiful, no?"

"It very much is. I have never seen anything like it, although I have seen a few dancers perform in other types of luxurious and extravagant gardens and theaters. In fact, it sounds silly to say, but I have performed a dance or two to a song that my mother taught me when I was young. I always loved it. The lyrics change based on what kind of state your country is in. The melody is the same, but the words are different. I know all of them too, and there are a bunch", the handsome man informed her. She smiled, thinking about what it would be like to see him dance. It was quite rare to see male dancers.

"Did you enjoy dancing?" Jeanne wondered. Cú smiled at her and shrugged.

"It was okay, I guess. I don't know. It just came naturally. Most of the time I only did it if I needed money which luckily wasn't very often or if I felt like I wanted to when I had the chance. I never really thought about whether or not I enjoyed it. Like I said, it just felt natural." The blonde Frenchwoman stared at him. His blue hair was blowing behind him in the wind. His red eyes shined in the sun. His handsome face and features almost made him seem like more of a demigod than a normal human. He almost seemed perfect. Like nothing was wrong with him at all. There was not one imperfection haunting his soul besides the sins he committed. But looking at his abilities, he was the perfect man.

Earlier that day, he had made her breakfast without her even having to ask him to, for her foot was still in a good amount of pain from the night prior. And when she took a bite, her eyes widened in surprise at the deliciousness of the morning meal. Not only that, but the tea he made was wonderful, and he had not ceased to amaze her yet. Jeanne gave the near-perfect Irishman a grin, thinking of an idea. "Will you sing me the song?"

"Hm?" He was surprised, for he had not expected the question.

"Will you sing me the song that your mother taught you? You do not have to, if you do not want to", the maiden replied. Cú looked at her for a moment, before nodding his head reluctantly. A very light blush was present on his cheeks, but it was dark enough for Jeanne to notice. How handsome, she thought, closing her eyes and crossing her arms to lay her head down on them so she could rest her head on the table to make him feel less uncomfortable and pay attention to the song. His voice seemed to have changed from his usual bark-like voice to a beautiful sounding deep one.

"Tiny, hopeless light in the darkened day,

Show yourself and shine.

Throw away your tears and light the way,

And your light will be lost in time.

Darkened, darkened day of hopelessness,

Hide yourself and dull.

Throw away the rain and shine the sun.

Let the dead be glad in their grave" Cú sang lightly. The words were light yet filled with meaning. Jeanne felt as though her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier listening the beauty of the melody. And soon, the song was over. The sounds of the winds had seemingly stopped completely right as the song began. She opened her eyes and pointed her eyes at him, adjusting her head so she could see him. "Will you sing it again? It was beautiful", the woman told him, before seeing him smile and nod once more. His voice started up again, as her eyes continued to get harder and harder to lift.

Soon, only the lyrics sounded in her head. His voice continued to replay itself in her mind, as she fell asleep, tired and exhausted from the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before.

Sweet, five cards down, two more to go! Diarmuid continued to search for the cards through the long hallways of the castle. He couldn't believe that he found them all without knowing where half of the rooms were. At one point, he kind of just gave up on trying to figure out which room the card was describing and declared that it would be faster if he would just look to see if there were any cards in the rooms he went through. Oddly enough, he hadn't run into anyone or hadn't been attacked by anyone yet, for he had yet to actually face one of the obstacles that Zoal had explained about earlier. Well, at least he hadn't faced one of the challenges yet, for right at that moment he ended up stopping his "not accidentally plowing someone over" streak. "Shit!" he cursed, as he fell to the hard floors of the castle on his behind.

"Why the hell is it me whosestuck with all this damn bad luck!" a familiar voice yelled. Diarmuid recognized who it came from immediately. And sure enough, the raven-haired Irishman looked up to see his orange-haired friend, Ottoman, sitting on the ground. Ottoman also looked up to see who it was he ran into, a smile quickly grew on his face. "Diarmuid! Ha, I guess I had a little bit of both types of luck. I was looking for you!" he exclaimed.

"What? Why were you looking for me? I thought you were training", the confused Diarmuid responded. Ottoman had a questioning look on his face.

"What the hell? So, you aren't in the competition? It sure looks like it. You have the same weapons, as I do. I mean, you seem to be on the gold team with me, and Gawain told us that you were in it too", Ottoman told his friend. "He also told us that we had to find a flag or something, but the only ones who know where exactly to find it are the captains of the teams. Oh, and we have to make sure that all of the team members that are 'alive' are by the flag." Diarmuid's eyes widened in realization. This was one of the things that Zoal left out of the explanation. He could have been attacked by the other team without even realizing that he was in a competition.

"Wait a second, you said that the only ones who know how to get to the flag are the captains, correct?"

"Yep."

"I see, so I'm captain", the Irishman stated.

"Wait a second, you're captain of the gold team and didn't even realize it?" Ottoman asked confused.

"Unfortunately, all Felicity and I were told was that we had to follow these cards to get to a flag and a treasure chest. We were not informed of any competition or team whatsoever. So, that makes Felicity the captain of the silver team. Hey, we just might have the advantage here, if Felicity doesn't know anything about the competition. All we have to do is find the last card and the rest of our team, and then we succeed in our goal."

"We may succeed, but the objective of this game is to have the most team members still 'alive'. So, we need to make sure that all of them survive. Right now, I know that I'm on your team and that Felicity girl you were talking about is the captain of the gold team", summed up the orange-haired male beside the raven-haired one. The taller one nodded, as he started to walk and motioned for the other to follow.

"By the way, don't worry about not having a lot of good luck. I'm the same way", Diarmuid told the short man. Ottoman looked up at Diarmuid.

"I'm sorry, did you get whacked in the face with the cheek of an axe today?" At the question, Diarmuid started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Are you just saying that to be funny? Because I must admit, it was pretty funny", he chuckled with a bright white smile. Ottoman's face was serious, but Diarmuid was sure that he was just exaggerating. Suddenly, the loud scream of a young girl sounded from behind them.

"THERE YOU ARE YOU DAMN PERVERT!" the girl, who Diarmuid recognized to be Felicity, yelled loudly. His eyes widened.

"F-Felicity? Why are you so-" Diarmuid looked down at Ottoman, whose face was pure white as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes were filled with fear. "Oh my god, you weren't kidding."

"RUN!" the Likenian commanded, as he grabbed onto Diarmuid's green body suit and tugged on him to get him to run. Fortunately, the two were very, very quick and easily outran the furious female behind them. The new retainer couldn't help but wonder what the hell Ottoman could have done to make Felicity, someone who sounded super, super sweet when first meeting her, become so angry.

"What the hell did you do to her?" the Irish lancer asked once they were sure that they had lost her. The two breathed hard, for they had run at their full speeds to get away from the warrior. Sweat from their foreheads dripped to the cold floor of the castle.

"She tripped in the hallway, so I went to go help her up. And when I finally got to her, I realized that her skirt had...um...lifted up. Then, she looked at me and called me a pervert even though I was just trying to help her. And that's when she whacked me in the face with the cheek of her axe and ran away", Ottoman explained between breaths. The two stood straight, for they had finally regained their composure.

"I guess you're right. You do have worse luck than I do. Well, let's just forget that ever happened and continue with the hunt for the cards. We need to find all of them and get to flag and maybe take a few of the gold team's members out as well", the man of the love spot declared, to which the other nodded and followed him as they continued to walk and try to find the cards. "So, do you have any idea about who else is on our team or how many people are on one team?" Ottoman thought for a moment.

"Gawain said that there will be a total of seven people on each team, and each team will have three real warriors on them. But as for ideas on who is on the gold team, no idea. All we can do is keep on looking through the halls. We're bound to run into them at some point, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, what do you think of all this so far? As in like, what do you think of the castle and being warrior?" Diarmuid asked Ottoman, looking for something to talk about.

"I think it's awesome. I finally get to protect people and actually do something in my life. Back in Liken, there was nothing to do. No one to protect. Liken is an Absolute Neutral. The queen will only declare war on countries who attack it within its borders or if there's another very justified reason. Otherwise, they will not aid anybody. Queen Likenia does not like bloodshed, so she would rather not enter a war and cause more", the light green-eyed male explained. Although having heard a few stories of the "Lady of Liken", Diarmuid was still unfamiliar with the nation, so he was rather interested in hearing stories from one coming from the mysterious nation.

"Oh, is that right? Have you met the queen before?" the Irishman asked. Ottoman's head bobbed, a smile on his face.

"I have. Zeon once brought me to the castle about a year or so ago. It was right before I decided to sign up for the Battle of Knighthood. Anyway, Zeon ended up bringing me to the throne room, and I ended up meeting her. She's a super nice person, very, very beautiful as well. I can only describe her as someone as pure as a diamond. She's respected by everyone, even the ones who do not believe her to be the true Goddess of Wise Destruction", he responded, causing Diarmuid to remember one of the few tales he heard from many different people. He remembered hearing that the successor of the Likenian throne always has powers of destruction.

Although Diarmuid believed in Christianity, the "gods" and "goddesses" told in the tales were more a part of Mother Nature than actual "gods". They were only immortal beings that possessed powers, which was said to be the very definition of a "god". But most, however, believed that they were only idols instead of beings who created the world, for the one that truly created the world was God himself, he who sacrificed his son for the sake of humanity. He was the one whom was worshiped among the people. The other "gods" were only believed to bring whatever their power offered.

"If she is not the Goddess of Wise Destruction, then who would be?" the twenty year old questioned.

"Many say that Queen Likenia had a sibling who was given the powers, a twin most likely. But back to your original question, I do love it here. Although, I'm not sure what I think of the general and the queen. The queen seems like the most untrustworthy person ever and General Alodine seems like the most intimidating and dangerous person ever", Ottoman told him, as a drop of sweat came from his head just thinking about the women. Diarmuid nodded.

"Yeah, I heard Jeanne say that she was very intimidating at the feast last night. I guess we'll just have to see. We don't know her personally yet, so I guess we'll find out soon. All I know about her right now is that she is insanely strong", he replied, to which Ottoman agreed with a nod of the head.

"I guess so. Anyway, what were things like in Ireland? I bet it was cool."

"It was okay. I probably did the same as you. I wasn't a warrior, although I was trained and fought a couple of small battles that my brother allowed me to participate in but there was never anything really important for me to do. I guess the only difference is that our king isn't as luxurious as what you described your queen as being. In fact, Cú always says how much he wishes the former king, King Conchobar, was back on the throne. But don't ask me about it; I've only ever met King Fionn", Diarmuid informed the Likenian beside him.

"Heh, maybe our countries are pretty similar after all. You know, except the whole war thing", Ottoman chuckled. Diarmuid let out a small laugh, knowing all too well that Ireland was the direct opposite of Liken when you looked at the fact that the smaller kingdoms within the country always seemed to be in some kind of war with each other at some point in time.

The two suddenly heard something, causing their laughter to stop. They looked toward the window of the castle and looked out of it. The two looked at each other and continued to watch the battle between the two warriors – Felicity, who apparently made her way outside, versus the same man who looked like the male version of Arturia. "Oi, you know what that guy's name is? I saw him at the meeting, but I never caught his name" Ottoman asked Diarmuid, thinking that maybe he would know due to Diarmuid most likely knowing more soldiers than him. The Irishman shook his head.

"Not exactly sure, but I think that that was Arthur, Arturia's younger brother. Last night, he called her sister, and they were talking about when he becomes king Guinevere will finally become the official Queen of Britain. But anyway, he apparently seems to have been placed on our team though. Should we help him defeat Felicity?"

"I don't know, man. You saw how mad she was. And trust me, she is not weak at all. I swear she could have killed me with the cheek of her axe, if she hit me a little harder. I'm actually surprised that I don't have a broken jaw or nose", the shorter male replied with an unsure tone. Diarmuid looked towards their blonde brother-in-arms to see him running for his life away from the short female.

"Uh yeah, we won't be able to catch him in time. You're right", he spoke, seeing that the two escaped from seeing range. Ottoman tilted his head. "He just ran away from her. I don't think he even wanted to try to face her in a battle."

"Can't say I blame him", the orange-haired warrior mumbled, causing Diarmuid to laugh. "Maybe we should look for the others before him. Wouldn't want to get ourselves 'killed', now would...we? Hey Diarmuid, is that your brother?" The lad of the love spot looked out the opening once more. And just as the other had said, his elder brother seemed to be chasing a white-haired man with red and black clothes on, Cú not looking anything close to happy.

"Oh no, Cú is not happy", Diarmuid proclaimed, noting the all-too-familiar expression upon the Hound of Culainn's face. "How the hell did that guy goad him so easily? He's going to get his ass kicked." And right as the statement was spoken, Cú charged at the other male, displaying the massive amount of agility that he naturally possessed.

"I don't know how exactly strong your brother is, but I'd say so as well", Ottoman agreed. "Hey, it seems that your brother is on our team as well! He has gold weapons!" he exclaimed, now noticing the weapons that the renowned warrior held. The younger of the Duibhnes once again looked at the elder of the two and smiled, happy that he wouldn't have to raise a weapon against his own kin.

"Maybe your brother is on our team as well?" suggested the man. Ottoman gave a bright smile at the idea.

"That would be awesome!" he responded cheerfully. "But, I think we should find the cards first and then look for the other teammates and hopefully not lose whoever that man was."

Diarmuid nodded in agreement before telling the lad, "I agree. Follow me; I know where the next card is."

Pants echoed throughout the stair-room, as Chilla made her way up to the third floor of the castle. Her gray boots made light noises as she ran up towards the floor. She could hear Long chasing after her, for she was on the opposing team - the silver team, lead by an unknown leader. Luckily, Chilla had the advantage, for she had a lot more experience in fighting than Long, whom was one of the Wyvern Silvecore. But not only that, the stairs made their way counterclockwise, meaning that her left was facing the edge. And unlike Chilla, Long only used her right hand.

The silver-haired Silvecore looked over the edge of the tall staircase that was more like a very large ramp to see that Long was not far behind her, and she was picking up her pace quickly. I always heard tales of the speed of the Wyverns as a child, but I never thought that they'd be this quick. Wait a second- Chilla's thoughts were interrupted, as she realized that there was someone else from the silver team chasing after her as well - the young male with green hair and purplish-pink eyes, Manning. Damn, I can't be defeated. I have to prove my strength and my worth. And, I can't do that with them on my tail. How do I-huh? Chila suddenly stopped. In front of her, a female assassin with black and auburn hair stood. Her weapons were gold. She was one of the real warriors that was placed on the teams. "Do not be a coward, and run. Be brave, and attack", she told Chilla, her voice was deep and gorgeous. "I was going to aid you, but it seems that they do not want to charge forth anymore."

Chilla's eyes widened, as she looked back. The two new warriors were running back down the ramp-like stairs. The female Chinchilla turned back to the assassin, only to find out that she had left in the blink of an eye. "What the-" was all that came out of her mouth, as she wondered where the hell her teammate went off to. Suddenly, another voice came out from atop the staircase. Looking up, the light-brown haired male who had given her food the day before waved happily to her.

"Yo, fellow member of the soon-to-be-victorious team!" the male, Zeon, exclaimed cheerfully. "Pair up?" Chilla simply looked at him for a moment before smiling at the silliness of his character and continuing her way up the stairs to him. Once arriving before him, she nodded to him with a small smile. She was still not sure, if she could trust humans or not but for some reason she felt confident in the one before her. "Great, so whatcha doing coming up here?" Zeon asked, looking at her with questioning eyes. He followed close behind her, as she made her way into the halls of the third floor.

"I was going to try and see if I could get a good view of the outside. I thought maybe some of the members are brawling outside, then we'll be able to determine if they are friends or foes", the woman answered. Zeon looked at her with surprise on her face.

"Oh, really? That's a tremendous idea! I would have never thought of that!" the man, who seemed to be about twenty-five, exclaimed. "You're pretty intelligent. I hope the one I marry is as smart and as beautiful as you. That'd be like a dream come true!" At the sentence, a blush came across Chilla's face. She stayed silent however, for she had no idea on what to say to such a thing. She had never been so called "flirted" with before and if she had been she didn't notice and it definitely didn't come from a human. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make this awkward. I was just saying the truth", Zeon apologized. "Anyway, do you want to try to go find a good vantage point now? And if we do find someone outside who's on the other team, I can probably snipe them with an arrow. I have a pretty good shot."

Chilla's blush luckily went away, as she nodded to him and continued on her way to find a good point. "So, who was the woman who stopped you? Was she on our team?"

"Yes, I did not catch her name, however. She was definitely an assassin, and more than likely a very well trained one as well. I turned around for a second before realizing that she had run off by the time I turned back to her. And, that's when you showed up. Did you see where she went?" the fluffy-tailed woman questioned her temporary partner.

"No, but I know for a fact that she's not an average assassin. She's even more agile and quiet than any of the others I ever met, but that may be because I haven't met many thieves or assassins. It's quite rare to find one back in Liken, so I don't know how common or skilled they are here in Britain", Zeon replied. "Hey, how about that small balcony? It seems like a pretty good spot to look out of." Chilla agreed with a small "alright" before making her way up the loft with Zeon.

The two looked out for a couple moments before deciding to look out onto the other balcony that was across the hall. The warriors made their way to it, their eyes widening at the beauty of the scene. Before them was a huge garden that was placed around a pond, small boats kept at the edge of the water to keep them from making themselves out into the middle of the sparkling liquid. In the middle of the pond, a island-like stage was placed, accented with gorgeous decorations. Looking down below, there were beautiful tables with matching chairs. It must have been some sort of outdoor theater. "Wow, this is beautiful", Chilla commented, admiring the gorgeousness of the garden theater. Zeon nodded slowly in agreement. There was no other way to describe it.

"Hey, look", Chilla told him, as she pointed to something. The man followed her fingertip to where she was pointing and was surprised to see a green flag on top of the roof-shade that was placed above the stage and the flag's pole – the color gold. "That must be our flag. Come on, we have to find the rest of the team." The human and the Silvecore then started to make their way down the castle stairway, deciding that it would be better to search the floors below first.

"You know, I don't hate a lot of people, but you've somehow managed to get on my bad side within a few minutes. That must be a new record", Cú spoke to the white-haired man in front of him, who breathed out. He was regretting saying anything about hearing the Irishman's conversation with the maiden and especially regretting mocking the man by calling him a "dancing dog". "Were you really arrogant enough to think that you could actually beat me on a one-on-one fight? Heh, that was a mistake."

The tan male whom he was speaking to hesitated before speaking. "I honestly thought you wouldn't be able to leave that lass alone, but of course you were one of the warriors chosen to be on the gold team and the king arrived to visit her. If I would have known that then I wouldn't have said anything." Cú chuckled, an intimidating tone within.

"Here's an idea, if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it at all. Otherwise, you're going to end up in the same situation like this one again and again", he informed his rival, who laughed at the statement.

"Only, I don't think that there are many warriors with strength that are even close to yours", the male stated. Cú gave a deadly smile. His red eyes were radiating, as they pointed at Archer, who tried not to look intimidated.

"You flatter me, Archer. But unfortunately, that doesn't get you anywhere in a fight. But if you really want to flatter me, you can give me a good fight. I'll forgive you, if you do."

"Heh, so be it. This fight was inevitable anyway", Archer responded, readying his blades.

"You're not wrong", Cú agreed. "Now then, give me a good brawl." Within a second, Cú was gone, nowhere to be seen. And then, the taller male felt it - the deadly aura from the other warrior. Without warning, a foot hit his side, sending him flying to the other direction.

"Finally, we got the last card! Now, all we have to do is find the rest of our teammates! So right now, we know for a fact that the members of our team are you, me, Arthur I think his name is, and my brother. How many people are we supposed to have on a team again?" Diarmuid asked Ottoman, as the two continued to run through the halls.

"Seven – four rookies, three veterans", the orange-haired lad answered. The other nodded, starting toward the last place that the cards said to go to – the place the flag was located, the Garden of Dance. He assumed that it was an outdoor theater, which meant that it was probably somewhere on the outdoor part of the castle. "Let's go see, if anyone 'lost their life' yet, so we know who all exactly to look for", Ottoman suggested. The Irishman a few steps ahead of him nodded in agreement, as they continued their search for the garden. Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded.

"Little bro! It seems that we are on the same team!" the sound of the elder Erikin came from atop the stairs. The two allies looked up to find Zeon and the Silvecore named Chilla standing there. The two descended the stairs and made their ways to Diarmuid and Ottoman. "Do you happen to be heading toward the Garden of Dance?" the light-brown man asked them. They nodded in response, earning a smile from the male.

"Great, so were we! So, do you know all of the members on our team, yet?" he questioned.

"We know all but one. It's us, Arthur or whatever his name is, and my brother", Diarmuid informed him.

"Oh, then we do know all of them. We ran into the last one just a moment ago, or at least I ran into her. She's a skilled assassin. So, all we have to do is find her, Arthur, and-" Suddenly, Chilla was cut off by the sound of a man crashing into a wall from being thrown through a window, his weapon red and an inscription that read "The Garden of Dance". And soon, none other than Culainn's hound hopped through the window of the stair room of the first floor.

"Oh, hey, Dia", the blue-haired Irishman smiled. "How's training going? It seems that all of us are on the same team. Although, we're missing two others though." Diarmuid returned the kind gesture to his brother and gave him a smirk.

"Good, and it seems that we are missing Arthur and an assassin. We don't know what her name is though. So, why did you get so angry at that guy?" the raven-haired knight asked, bobbing his head towards the white-haired man who was on the floor.

"Oh, Archer? It's because he's the biggest asshole I have ever met."

"No, it's because I heard him-"

"I'm sorry. Are you still talking even after I kicked your sorry ass? Because, I'm going to tell you right now. Keep on talking, and you'll have to go to the infirmary to have a boot removed from your ass", Cú threatened before the man could continue, which fortunately shut the tan male up. The red-eyed Duibhne turned his attention back towards his brother. "No idea where what's his face is, but I know the assassin was facing a tall, purple haired woman with a mask over her eyes. It seemed like a pretty entertaining fight, but I was too busy dealing with that piece of shit. And, don't worry. They were heading toward the theater when I saw them."

Diarmuid nodded before realizing something. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be protecting Lady Jeanne?"

"King Arturia is watching after her. She was sleeping when I left the garden, so the king told me that it would be no problem for her to stay with her. And, I was told that I had to help you all train by being in this little contest, so that's what I did", Cú explained.

"I see. Well alright then, we should get going to retrieve the flag before the others get there", Diarmuid stated, before starting with the rest of the gold team to the garden. "Do you know how to get there, Brother?"

"Yeah, I do. Just follow me." The warriors picked up their pace, wanting to prove that they were the superior team, and soon arrived at The Garden of Dance, where the silver team was not present. In one of the chairs, the blonde man, who they only assumed to be Arthur Pendragon, sat with a rather angry expression. Beside him, sat Manning, who smiled at the other warriors with a small wave. And in the table beside them, sat the king herself and her best friend, who was (as said by Cú) asleep, as well as Gawain, Merlin, Zoal, and Alo, who must have arrived a short while prior to that moment for her clothes and armor looked to have blood on them.

"Welcome", she mouthed, trying to keep silent as to not wake the maiden up. Diarmuid looked over at his elder brother, who had a smile on his face as he looked at his sleeping master. A wink from the king caught the amber-eyed male's attention, as he felt himself blush a bit. The small blonde giggled, as he turned away from her.

Without warning, the assassin and her opponent, who had snake-like hair, landed without sound on the ground. The sound of armor came from behind them, telling them that the silver team had arrived. The gold team looked behind them. There stood Felicity with her own teammates – Long, Weston, and a male samurai with long, blue hair. Felicity's eyes, who were focused on Diarmuid's and Ottoman's simultaneously, were soon darted to the flag atop the roof-cover.

Realizing that the whole silver team was there, Diarmuid knew that he still had a chance of retreiving the flag first. In fact, he had the upper-hand. Felicity and Diarmuid charged towards their victory flags at the same time, the two hopping on the cover in sync. But in the end, the Irishman seemed to have a bit more agility than the magenta-haired woman.

He felt the cold metal beneath his flesh, as he heard his team cheer for him. The blonde boy who sat with Manning was also cheering. Diarmuid saw Cú smiling at him, for his brother was without a doubt proud of him. "Congratulations", he heard Felicity say. Turning to her, he nodded in thanks before shaking the hand that she had offered to him before following her off of the roof.

The gold team cheered and started to pat Diarmuid on the back, until they were shushed by Arturia who then pointed to the sleeping Jeanne. "Will you be so kind as to take her back up to her room, Cú?" she questioned the brother of her retainer, who turned to her.

"Of course, King Arturia", he responded before walking towards the Frenchwoman. Cú made his way over to her and lightly nudged to her to make her wake up, for he did not just want to pick her up. Her eyes stayed closed however, so he assumed that she was in too heavy of a sleep to wake. He then picked her up, just as he had done twice the night before. The Irishman looked towards his brother with a smile, mouthing "come visit me if you want", and soon left.

After the two walked back into the castle and were out of sight, Arturia soon spoke. "First off, I would like to congratulate the gold team for their victory in the training exercise", she congratulated, to which the gold team cheered once more. "Secondly, I would like to properly introduce all of you to General Alodine, who is the top general and highest ranking warrior in the army. She has been here for seven years but has been fighting for a total of seventeen. If you are called to go on a battlefield, it will mostly be Alodine leading you and the rest of your allies and brothers and sisters-in-arms. And yes, I do know that the lot of you have seen her already, but I think that it would be better if you all met her, as well as the other warriors who fought alongside you today." The veterans of the British army then lined up as well as Felicity and Arthur, their postures perfect. Arturia started with Zoal who was on the left end. "This here is Zoal, another high rank general of the army and Alodine's subordinate and retainer."

The king continued with the introductions. "This here is Gawain, my cousin and another general of the army. He will be giving you most of your commands. The wizard you see here is Merlin, who helps with all kinds of different things although most are magic and healing related. Next is Raven, Alodine's personal assassin and her final subordinate", Arturia spoke, motioning toward the assassin who Chilla and Zeon had both run into earlier. The warriors nodded, as they were introduced. "Then, there is Medusa, a very skilled warrior and pegasus rider as well as Archer, who is obviously very skilled in using bows and can also duel-wield, and Kojirou Sasaki, a very skilled samurai of the army. All of them are also generals for the British army."

"And last but not least, Felicity, Alodine's apprentice, and Arthur, my brother and planned husband of Guinevere, are standing at the end." The two nodded. "And Jeanne, who Cú is now the guardian of, is another general and is also my best friend. She is a very nice woman, just don't get on her bad side. Now if any of you have any questions, don't be afraid of asking them. They want you to know everything about being a warrior, so they will always be there to help you." The warriors nodded in agreement. "And since your training is now all finished, you are free to do whatever you like for the rest of the day. So please, enjoy yourselves." The king and all the ones sitting next to her previously then sat back down, wanting to continue their conversation from earlier.

Diarmuid, Ottoman, Weston, and Manning decided to stay in the Garden of Dance, while Chilla, Long, Zeon, and the rest of the warriors made their way back into the castle to do whatever. The four sat down at one of the fancy tables, that looked like it was only meant for nobles. "Congrats, you two", Weston and Manning told the two. They gave them a small "thank you" before continuing with some small chat. Suddenly, Diarmuid and Ottoman, who were facing away from the table where the king sat, saw the other males' eyes wander upward and stop right above their head. They soon turned around to find General Alodine standing there. After she pulled up a chair, the woman sat beside Diarmuid and spoke.

"Make sure you're ready for training tomorrow. It won't be as easy as it was today", she informed the Irishman, who responded with a nod.

"I didn't think it would be, and I'm glad that it won't be", he replied, a slight smirk on his face.

"I like your attitude. That's all I wanted to tell you. If you have any questions to ask me, you know where to find me", Alo stated before making her way back to Arturia's table. Diarmuid looked at the woman, who reminded him of some sort of demon, for a moment. She was odd.

"Good luck with that training. Seriously, I'm pretty sure that she will not have any sympathy on you at all while training you", Weston commented. "I swear I'd probably wet my drawers, if she looked me straight into my eyes when she was angry." The men laughed at the sentence, as they continued their conversation.


	7. Begins A Guardian

_You are to never leave the side of your liege,_

_You are to always guard her,_

_You are to always obey her,_

_You are to always be connected to her,_

_You are to never betray her,_

_You are to never go outside boundaries,_

_You are to never harm her,_

_And, you are to always support her._

Deep panting echoed throughout the room. The two months had gone by rather slowly, for the training from Alodine was abnormally brutal and harsh (although he understood why she made it as such), making each hour seem like ten. The blade of a cursed axe was placed near his throat, causing fear to make its way to him. Sweat slid down the side of his forehead, as he looked into the woman's emotionless red eyes. "Impressive", she spoke, speaking of his performance when brawling her in the short mock battle they had just had. The Irishman, whom had fallen on his backside, chuckled lightly, getting up from the ground. "You lasted twenty seconds, a lot longer than most can stand against me and you didn't even avoid clashing blades with me. Impressive, very impressive. You are getting the hang of things, but that's not enough. You have to be able to defeat anyone in a battle, no matter their strength." Her voice, a beautiful, low tone, was devoid of any expression, yet she sounded as if she was speaking the truth. The man she was training noted that she had no signs of even being a little worn out, and they had been sparring for near six hours.

"Hmph, you certainly are underestimated in all of the tales that spread across the lands. I would have never guessed that you or _anyone_ would have such a great amount of strength. You are quite the warrior", Diarmuid said to her, watching her as she went to go put her unwieldy-looking axe down. The weapon was nearly bigger than she was, yet she used it as if it was a writing utensil - as if there was no weight bringing it back down to the ground. "I'm really starting to wonder why exactly you have a Low Cape in the place of a high one." Alodine turned her head to look at him before turning the rest of her body. She sighed slightly before answering the question he held within his mind.

"They wouldn't give one to me, for I made my way here from Katanta and they thought of me as a traitor. The court would not let me receive a High Cape; they told me that I did not deserve one. I never said anything though, for the cape causes my enemies to underestimate me", she informed him with a blank face. Diarmuid tilted his head, for there was no reason for anyone to underestimate her. She was strong enough already, so why did she need that advantage? The dangerous female seemed to have read his mind, for she spoke up once more. "I enjoy having that advantage, so I don't have to waste my time on un-formidable and worthless foes. It also means that I don't have to give my enemies useless wounds that are only going to make their deaths worse and only get more brand-less blood on my blade." Her explanation was blunt and intimidating as normal. Luckily, Diarmuid had gotten used to it during the weeks he trained with her.

"Anyway, I'm changing the subject", Alo continued, getting back to organizing the weapons that she had on display. "You'll be facing off against one of the soldiers tomorrow to see if you are ready to guard the King and finally become an official Royal Retainer. I have already decided who you will be opposing. I honestly am not sure, if you are going to be able to win or not depending on how their performance is tomorrow but I believe that it will be do-able for you since you've been training with both Zoal and me all this time as well as a few other things that you have an advantage in. But in any case, make sure you get a full night's sleep and a good meal before you fight. You're going to need it. The battle is at the sixth of dawn, the coliseum ." Diarmuid nodded in response.

"Of course, thank you, Alo", he thanked her with a bow. She nodded in reply before heading towards the door. "Before you leave, I have a question I would like to ask you." The warrior turned back to him, eyes that seemed to pierce with fear locked with ones that could swoon a maiden. "My apologies for stopping you, but I would like to know of my brother."

"And, what of your brother, knight?" Alodine questioned, turning her body back to the Irishman. The woman had started to call him by the title after he had told her that he still felt like a simple knight in the stead of an actual warrior. Diarmuid hesitated before speaking, for her glare seemed to have started piercing him like the blade of a spear.

He sighed, gulping, before answering the female. "How is he? I have not seen him since he left after the first day of training. I was told by one of the court members not to visit Jeanne and him as to not bother them, and also to let Jeanne rest until her foot has healed completely. I am starting to worry."

Alo looked at him for a moment. She nodded. "He has been well as of late. I paid him as well as his maiden a visit a night prior. And just as you worry of him, he is worried for you. He asked whether you have been well yourself or not. He also wanted to know how you have been doing in your training. He is definitely very protective of you; Jeanne spoke of how he always seems worried about you, of how he is always distressed due to being separated from you for so long." Alo walked to the bench, taking a seat. Her eyes were aimed up at the amber-eyed male. "He seems like a good brother to have", she commented, to which Diarmuid nodded.

"He is", he started, sitting next to the general. "Although I do not know of the actions of others' kin, I could still make a safe gamble that he is one of the best. Do you have any elder siblings, General?" The man turned to the veteran, who shook her head.

"I do not. I have a twin born younger than I and a younger sister five years my junior that is fathered by another man, whom I continue to deny of my kinship for the soul reason of that the cowardly man that called her daughter caused my mother to bear her only because of his selfish desires and a sin that should have been the reason for his death. But alas, his death was caused by a different sin worth his end. The only difference was that that sin actually _was_ the cause for the beginning of his trip down to hell." Diarmuid simply looked at her, speechless from what she had just told him. He sighed once more and leaned his arms on his legs, holding up his upper-body. The voice of Alodine sounded once more, as she continued to inform her trainee of her family. "I also have a younger foster brother back in Katanta that I left behind when I escaped the army."

The rookie beside her stayed silent for a small time. He then asked, "How long has it been since you've seen your siblings?"

Alo hesitated before answering. "Twenty-five years since I've seen my twin and seven and a half since I've seen my half-sister and foster brother."

"But, are you not twenty-five currently?" The beautiful warrior nodded.

"I am. My true sister and I were separated a few days after birth...But, that's all I want to say about my past."

"Do you mind if I ask you one other thing? You don't have to answer if you don't want to", Diarmuid told her. She bobbed her head with a soft "fine", giving her approval. "My thanks. What I wanted to ask is how you and General Zoal met." She looked at him with her rubies that became suddenly light-hearted, almost as if the thought made her slightly happy even if there was no smile roaming upon her face.

"I found Zoal nearly dead ten years ago while I was walking back to the Katantan Castle by myself after seeing if there were any other enemy soldiers in one of the villages that had been abandoned after a battle that took place within radius of near, and decided to heal him. After he woke from his unconscious state, he swore loyalty to me in order to repay me for saving his life, and he's been with me ever since. Although, I did tell him that I would allow him to leave after he killed the one who caused his family to flee their lands", Alodine informed him before getting up from her seat next to Diarmuid and sighing. "Anyway", she continued. "If that is all, I better be heading back now. I have a lot of things to do before I rest for the night. Remember, get a good amount of sleep. And, make sure to lock the door when you leave." The trainee who had gotten up as well nodded in response before watching his mentor walk out into the dark sky, a torch in her hand.

Diarmuid watched as she disappeared before grabbing his own torch and walking out, locking the door to Alodine's training building before heading off to the castle that had candle lights shining inside. Normally, Diarmuid's training ended in the afternoon, but Alodine had been commanded to lead a small battalion to clear out rebels who were threatening to have the King assassinated. "Ignorant fools don't know what would happen to them if they were to go without Arturia for only an hour. They have no idea the type of chaos the country would go into if she were to die", the woman stated when she returned. "I swear, rebels are the most ignorant people in all the lands. All they do is complain about their leader while it is their leader that is keeping them safe. And, they soon end up finding out that their ignorant beliefs of their leader will soon cause their death and the deaths of so many others. Yes, there are exceptions to these rules, but there are not many. Ugh, I can't believe that humans have made it so long without causing their own downfall." Her voice sounded emotionless, but she was obviously frustrated. She bore no hatred more than the hatred she held for rebels.

The amber-eyed Irishman looked up at the beautiful night sky that sounded with the small animals of the dark. He stopped for a moment, admiring the beauty, before he suddenly heard a male's voice speak up. "Oh, hey, Diarmuid." The chosen retainer looked over, staring into the bright green eyes of the orange-haired Likenian, Ottoman Erikin. "What's up? How was training?" he asked with a smile. Diarmuid returned the kind gesture.

"Brutal like always, but Alo says I am getting better", he replied. "So, what are you doing out so late?"

"Not much, just got bored without you in the castle. Zeon's always training, your brother is with Jeanne in her room, and Weston and Manning always spar together, so I don't really have anybody to hang out with whenever you're gone. You have no idea how boring it can get there without being able to fight on a battlefield or having a sparring partner because you're still in training. Ugh, why does training have to take so long?" Ottoman complained, sitting on the ground and leaning on a nearby tree. "Plus, that Felicity girl fell again, and I had to go somewhere where she couldn't find me. I mean, I know that skirts are what most women where and everything but _seriously_ why the hell does it have to be so short?!" Diarmuid chuckled.

"Don't ask me. That's just what she wears", he told his friend. "And anyway, it has only been two months, and I'm quite sure that training under Gawain is not nearly as bad as training under Alo", he continued, doing what his friend had done and sat down on the ground and used a tree right beside the other one as back support. "And, what about Chilla and Long? You cannot talk to them?" Ottoman bobbed his head a bit.

"Yeah, but I never really know how to talk to them. I was raised not knowing anything of the Silvecore. All I really knew was that they could shift into animals and had big ears and furry tails – well, most of them anyway", the young knight stated, remembering that Long didn't have any of those characteristics.

The two were silent for a moment before Diarmuid spoke up. "My battle is tomorrow – you know, the one that determines whether or not I am ready to become King Arturia's retainer or not", he said simply. Ottoman's eyes widened in surprise, as he looked toward his friend.

"Really? We still have two more weeks of training to go. Who are you facing?" the Likenian questioned. Diarmuid shrugged.

"I have no idea. Alo didn't tell me who. I just know that it's tomorrow at six in the morning."

"She really has no mercy, does she?"

The Irishman chuckled a bit, looking up at the star-clad night sky with a slight shake of his head. The male beside him had no idea how truly merciless the female was. Unlike Diarmuid, he had not been training under her for the past month. "You have no idea", the raven-haired man commented, a smirk present on his curse-ridden face. Yet another silence swept in between the two males, for there was nothing for the two to speak of. Suddenly, Diarmuid caught Ottoman snapping his head up, looking a little to his left, out of the corner of his eye. "Is there something amiss?"

"Do you hear that?" The question caused Diarmuid to raise an eyebrow. He didn't hear anything. "I think your brother is talking to someone behind that fence", Ottoman spoke, pointing to a fence nearby. Diarmuid concentrated, trying to listen. And then finally, he could hear it. The bark-like voice of his elder brother. The warriors listened for a few moments before then hearing the voice of a familiar female. "O-Ottoman, is he...talking to..." the Irish guardian trailed off, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

"Queen Guinevere?" Diarmuid nodded. "Yep, I'm hearing that too. Should we get a closer look?" The two gave each other a glance before silently agreeing to see what was going on. Approaching the fence, they slipped into the bushes, luckily not making any noise. They could hear the two crystal clear. Once again, they glimpsed at each other before peeking into a small hole big enough for the two to see through but covered enough for Cú and Guinevere to not be able to see them.

"You do know what this is, am I correct on my statement?" The evil-like tone of Guinevere sounded from beyond the white fence. From the looks of it, both the lancer and the Queen were in their nightclothes. Unlike Guinevere who held a soft yet intimidating expression, Cú, however, wore a serious, distrusting look upon his handsome face, almost as if the Queen had done something to anger him. The blue-haired warrior bobbed his head reluctantly.

"Of course, I do. But, my question is what would give you the idea of putting one upon my soul. I arrived here near only two months ago. There is no reason for you to put one on me, unless you are up to something. My apologies, Your Majesty, but I have to wonder if Alodine really is in the right to question what you are truly up to. From my personal standpoint, I am close to utterly agreeing with her on what she believes about you", Cú told her, a slightly threatening sound within his words. A sharp glare was the Queen's response before she proceeded to smile and start to giggle softly.

"Do not be foolish, Sir Cú. I am up to nothing of the such that that _dog_ believes me to be doing. Do not stoop so low. It would do me much shame to hear that the famed 'Hound of Culainn" would actually believe someone similar to Alodine", the Englishwoman started, walking slowly just to keep her feet occupied. "No, no, I would want nothing of the sort. I am Queen after all. Why would I want anything unfortunate to happen to Britain? As Queen, it is my duty to be a good example for my people. Anyway, the real reason why I am putting you under this is for the sole purpose of protecting Jeanne. You want that as well, no?" The question seemed to make Cú even angrier.

"Excuse me? I have already sworn loyalty to Jeanne. I promised her that I would guard her always, no matter if I was dead or alive. I told her that I would always be her protector, that I would always be there for her, that I'd always be by her si-"

"Oh, what a lie you've told, Setanta", Guinevere interrupted, stopping in her tracks and back-glancing at him. "There is no possible way that you'd always be by her side when you also have Diarmuid to be looking after." There was a slight pause. "Which is the main factor for this document. I want to make sure that you _are_ always at her side." Yet another break between sentences came. "Now, now dear, there is absolute no reason to get angry about this. Both you and I want to make sure that Jeanne's safety is definite. And for this statement, I do not even have to ask whether or not it is correct." Cú continued to glare at the woman.

"H-how dare you?! I would never break a promise, especially to Jeanne! And even if I were to leave her side physically, I would mentally still be there. Right now, protecting her is my absolute priority! If anything were to happen to her, I wouldn't even be able to think properly I would feel like such a failure! I wouldn't even be able to live with myself! Just how I would feel if I ever let _anything_ happen to Diarmuid!" The anger that had risen from within in the male had finally gotten to its fullest and was now overflowing. How dare this woman be so bold to accuse him of such a betrayal?

Diarmuid and Ottoman looked at each other once more, wondering what the Queen could have done to make Cú so furious. They jumped once they heard his bark continue to sound in the silent night. "How were you even allowed to create such a document?! Does King Arturia know about thi-" Once again, Guinevere seemed to have cut him off.

"What she doesn't know won't kill her" she stated simply. Oh, what a fool this woman was.

"Oh, really? Then, how did the former Queen of Katanta get killed off so easily seven years ago? Then, how did the kingdom of Awevin fall after thousands upon thousands of years of running so well? Oh right, by them not knowing the plans of their assassins and their enemies' plans. In fact, not knowing about something is what gets many people killed", the tall Irishman growled in retort. It was Her Majesty's turn to have boiling blood.

"This is _completely_ different, Sir-" Her time to be interrupted seemed to have made itself present as well.

"Are they? You are obviously planning something. Do not think that I do not know anything of the love affair between you and that Lancelot lad. I am not so foolish as you think, Your Majesty. I have rather keen ears as well as a rather keen mind. I advise you to not underestimate me and my abilities." The boiling of the blood in the Queen's veins only increased. She had to wonder if all of Ireland's warriors were like this. Breathing out, the female finally managed to calm herself. She then looked up at Cú once more.

"Who do you think you are talking back to _me_ like you just did? I hope you know that I could easily have someone like you banned from the castle, the capitol, the whole entire kingdom even. You are lucky that I do not do such a thing", Guinevere warned the male, who gave a cocky laugh.

"Ha, really now? Because, I recall you saying how all you wanted was Jeanne's safety to be definite. This is true, no? After all, you know that if anyone would be able to protect Jeanne to the best of the abilities it would be me. So if you are truly saying that if I were to speak up to you once more you would have me banned, does that also mean that you do not fully care of my liege's safety?" The tone definitely mocked her. Was he somehow seeing right through her?

"I do! I do care of her safety! That is why I want you to agree to the terms of the document!" Guinevere steadied her breath. She would not satisfy the dog in front of her by showing her annoyance that he had wanted to cause her. "Anyway", she continued in a cool, calm tone. "If you do not sign it, remember that it would not only be a dishonor to you as well as Ireland that you were not brave enough to take this up, but I'm sure it would also make Jeanne a little disappointed that her guardian would not officially promise to protect her and obey her at all times." The hidden males heard Diarmuid's elder brother grunt, his head turning toward a table.

Suddenly, Cú walked up to the nearby table, that was much like the ones in the Garden of Dance. Picking up a quill and dipping it in the ink bottle that had been placed beside it, the Irishman signed something that was also placed on the table and with it came the document disintegrating into what looked like small fragments of light. "There. It is done. Are you happy now?" An evil smirk came upon Guinevere's face.

"I am. Thank you, Setant-"

"I would appreciate if you kept from calling me that name. That may be my true name, but that is what I go by no longer", Cú told the woman, not even giving her a slight glance in the direction in which she was located. She glared at him.

"Do you not enjoy the name that your deceased mother gave you when you were first born into this world?" The warrior continued to stare at the ground, keeping his eyes from locking with the Queen's.

"That is not it. I do enjoy it. In fact, I plan to call my firstborn son by that name. I am just not used to it. It's been over a decade since I've been identified as such, which is the reason I do not like being called that. Hell, even my mother did not continue to call me by my true identity after I defeated the hound. There are only two people in the world that are still calling me by my previous name. So if you will, Your Majesty, do not call me by my birth name." Guinevere reluctantly nodded. "My thanks. If that is all, I will kindly ask you to leave", he told her, walking up to one of the chairs and sitting in it while he rubbed his face. "I wish to have a little alone time before it takes effect." A nod came from the Queen, as she walked towards the door and exited the fenced area.

Soon, a sigh could be heard coming from Cú, as a pair of heels sounded from the inside of the castle. The Irish spearman darted his god-like, red eyes toward the door, not surprised to see that it was Jeanne who had come to find him. "I heard you talking out here. I was worried that- Cú, what's wrong? You look as if you had just heard some terrible news", the Frenchwoman commented, looking up at him with her beautiful amethysts. Her guardian stood and shook his head.

"I-I don't think we should discuss this matter outside. I will tell you everything once we get back to our living quarters." Jeanne bobbed her head in response, a confused expression present upon her pretty features. Diarmuid and Ottoman then heard the door click, as it closed, telling them that it was safe to get out of the bushes.

They turned towards each other. "What the hell was that about?" It was Ottoman who was the first to speak up. Diarmuid shrugged silently, for he was starting to worry for his elder kin. What had he signed a moment earlier? A moment of silence came before Ottoman spoke up once more. "Maybe we should get some sleep and discuss it tomorrow. You need to get your sleep for your big fight in the morning." The taller male smiled and looked at him, nodding.

"You're right." The two then silently continued on their way toward the castle, both wondering what Cú had agreed to. Finally reaching their destination, they bid each other farewell and continued to their respective rooms, each lighting a torch to help them see through the darkness of the halls.

Diarmuid walked as silently as he could through the halls. He knew that the nobles whom lived within the castle walls would not be bright upon seeing an alone, Irish near-guardian simply sauntering through the halls without having asked a veteran warrior or a servant (or some other "lowlife") to accompany him to his living quarters. The lancer had already gotten into quite the predicament numerous times by committing the same deed. The nobles had even possessed the guts to order a servant to go awaken Alodine from her slumber just to have her recite the rules of the castle to him once again (to which she didn't but instead proceeded to scold the ones who had sent a servant to get her out of her slumbering state just to have her remind her student of something so ridiculous that even Jeanne continued to speak out against). It annoyed him that the castle's nobles were so strict about other nobles always being guarded at every second of every day.

 _Castle-life sure is different from normal life. Or maybe it's life here in Britain that's just different, because Ireland was nothing like this_ , he stated within his mind, soon walking into the Royal Hall. He took a glance at the closed entrance of the french maiden's living quarters. It seemed that there was a tiny line of light below the door, telling him that someone was awake within. He had a slight temptation to go up to the movable barrier, giving it a quiet, tiny knock – quiet enough to not wake any other inhabitants of the hall but loud enough to gain the attention of either of the two inside. He cast aside these temptations however, for he did not want to be so rude as to interrupt the maiden and the man beyond the entryway at such an hour that it was. Strolling past it, he heard the two tones of Jeanne and Cú quietly sounding from the room, both of which sounded rather serious, Jeanne's nearly sounding worried.

Even then, Diarmuid still decided that his brother would not be too happy about his younger sibling eavesdropping on them (although he had no idea of what they were speaking about). And one thing was for sure, making Cú angry was not a good thing. Hell, Diarmuid already had witnessed many times in which his only kin was enraged to the point of going complete berserk. There had even been one time that the younger Duibhne watched his brother's body have a warp spasm. Diarmuid shook, remembering the fear that had taken over him after looking at Cú's warped body. He recalled watching some of Ireland's strongest warriors struggle to dunk Cú underwater to get him out of the state.

The raven-haired male decided to get the thought out of his mind and just continue to walk to his quarters, for he _did_ need his rest for the following day. Suddenly, a voice made him jump, for it had unexpectedly come from behind. "Diarmuid, what are you doing out so late? Is something amiss?" It was all-too-familiar. There was no doubt in his mind of who it was. The lancer turned his body towards the speaker. And although he knew exactly who it was, the woman still seemed to have caught him off guard. Her appearance is what surprised him – a thin-strapped, long nightgown complemented her perfect, pale skin, emerald eyes glowing in the torchlight, a light tint of red radiating onto them from the flames of the fire, and beautiful golden locks draping her small shoulders. What warmed his heart however was the pink that decorated her cheeks that no doubt was from the exact thing that her chosen retainer was most definitely noting within his head. A moment of silence overcame, as Diarmuid gained a small blush himself after realizing that his one glance was one glance too long for him to be looking at his superior in such a way.

"A-Arturia? Oh, uh, I just got back from training and talking with Ottoman. I am sorry if I was the cause for your awaken state", he apologized, assuming that he had awaken her. The petite King shook her head at him, grabbing his arm. "You mean, I did not awake you?" Once more, Arturia shook her head.

"No, no, you did no such thing. If you had awaken me, you would have seen me come out of my living quarters. So, do not worry yourself over waking me. I did so myself. I was just checking something and happened to see you walking to your room." Diarmuid nodded, thankful to not have waken up his superior. "Now please, I need for you to come with me." Without a second to take her sentence in, the Irishman was being pulled by the arm by the adorable 'King of Knights' (a nickname in which he had learned from Gawain when he spoke so highly of Arturia); the two heading towards her quarters.

"Hm, what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you once we're alone", she replied simply. They soon arrived at the entrance of her living quarters, Arturia opening the door immediately and closing (as well as locking) it right behind them once they were both in. The room was quite extravagant, beautiful decorations strategically placed, candles shining to give the living room and kitchen a warm feel, and gorgeous furniture allowed for a luxurious rest – quite fitting for a King. It was mostly dark inside, but it seemed that having the few candles was enough to see everything. "Come; take a seat at the table", was the command given to him.

He did as she had told him to do, watching her as she sat down as well. A sigh came from her before she continued to talk. "I am very sorry for this. I know you have a big today tomorrow speaking that you have your fight tomorrow", the King apologized. Diarmuid shook his head, a smile upon his face.

"I told you. I'm always here for you, and I will continue to be here for you for as long as I live", her knight replied. She returned his smile. _I knew I chose well_ , Arturia spoke in her mind before giving him a nod.

"My thanks, my knight." She then continued. "Anyway, I need to know if you heard Guinevere talking to anybody outside." The amber eyes of Diarmuid widened for a bit before he rested his eyelids and gave her a small nod. "May I ask who it was?" A pause. Diarmuid hesitated, not wanting to answer the question. But in the end, it was his liege who was questioning him. He had no place in not telling her.

"Ottoman and I heard her speaking with my brother – something about Jeanne's protection being absolute and him signing a document. I'm not entirely sure. All I really know is that Cú did not sound happy about it all, even going so far as to interrupt her while she was speaking. Why? Do you know anything about it?" His master shook her head.

"Unfortunately, I do not. The reason I ask is that Guinevere has been sneaking around at night for the last few months. And as you most likely know, there are some rather strict restrictions and rules within the castle, especially at night. When I saw you returning, I thought maybe you saw Guinevere doing anything suspicious or in this case hearing her do anything suspicious. I got Alo and Gawain to help investigate, but unfortunately they can't seem to find anything", Arturia explained, her green eyes staring into his.

"Have you tried getting information from a servant or tried getting one of your most trusted warriors to guard her at all times?"

"I have. In fact, she does have a guardian protecting her, but it is Lancelot whom holds that position as of now. So, I can't really get any information out of him. But please, do not worry yourself over this. This really has nothing to do with you. I am sorry I dragged you in here asking for information." Once again, the Irishman shook his head with a smile.

"It is fine, Arturia. You can tell me anything. I'll be sure to continue listening until my death which hopefully won't be anytime soon. I am looking forward to learning more about you, and an untimely death would not allow me to do so", he told her. He could see a slight blush start to rise onto her cheeks as she happily grinned back at him, quite an adorable sight it was as well. Nodding, she responded to him.

"Well then, thank you for telling me. It helps to have any kind of information that I can get."

"It is no problem at all." Once again, the King bobbed her head to him. There was a slight moment of silence before Arturia spoke up.

"Well then, I think that it would be best for you to get some rest. I'm sure you'll need it for tomorrow", she told him.

"Ah yes, you are quite correct on that statement. Well then." Diarmuid stood from his seat. "Goodnight, my King." He turned around, heading for the door but was soon stopped by a small hand landing on his arm. Looking back, he saw Arturia lightly gripping his arm; her blush seemed to have gotten deeper. "Yes?" She gave him a smile before dropping her arm.

"Good luck. Do not disappoint me, warrior of Britain", she winked. Diarmuid chuckled before nodding.

"I would do no such thing", the warrior replied before heading out the door, his last image of her being her standing there with a smile and a blush upon her perfect face. He closed the door gently, making sure no sound came from shutting it, and made his way back to his own living quarters. Upon reaching his bedroom, he nearly collapsed on the bed, finally realizing just how tired he was – his eyelids becoming too heavy to keep open only a short while later.

* * *

"Sir Diarmuid, Sir Diarmuid, please wake up", a quaky voice sounded quietly near him, causing his heavy eyelids to lift up for a moment before once again closing. Suddenly, a familiar, bark-like voice could be heard after the opening of a door.

"Here, I'll wake him up. You can go", the voice told the other.

"Y-yes, sir", the feminine tone replied before the sound of shoes started to fade. Without warning, the covers were then swiped off Diarmuid's body within a second, cold air piercing his skin causing the hairs on his body to stand on end. Opening his eyes, he looked at who it was, not surprised to see that it was his elder brother who had whipped the blankets off of him.

"What kind of warrior are you, Dia? You can't be this lazy when you're serving the King. Now, get up or else I'm going to drag you out of bed myself. Seriously, Dia", Cú told him. "It's five-fifteen. Your fight is in forty-five minutes." Diarmuid's eyes widened, as he abruptly lifted himself into a sitting position.

"F-forty-five minutes? Dammit! I have to get going if I want to train a bit before the fight. Alright, alright, I'm going; now, get out", the raven-haired male told his kin, who obviously wasn't happy about his younger brother kicking him out after only two seconds of being in his room. "Out, out!" Diarmuid urged him, practically pushing him out of the room.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Gee, glad to see how much you missed seeing me", Cú stated sarcastically, walking out of the room and closing the door behind him. "I swear. Sometimes I don't know what to do with him", the blue-clad lancer commented.

Diarmuid quickly got dressed, making sure to strap his armor tightly but not too tightly, and soon grabbed his weapons, leaving his room and heading towards the same arena in which he was selected as Arturia's retainer. Luckily, the walk to the coliseum was pretty short, allowing Diarmuid to take some time to train before the fight.

Once inside the arena, Diarmuid noticed that there were quite a few spectators sitting in anticipation for the battle to start. The lancer could see Jeanne, Cú, and Zeon as well as Ottoman, and the rest of the warriors who were chosen only two months prior watching him from the Royal Balcony. What caught his attention however was the blonde beauty watching him from upon the King's throne. He saw her give him a small, reassuring smile. Smiling back at her, he suddenly felt a tap on the shoulder, causing him to look the opposite way. His amber eyes locked with glowing red ones, pitch black locks of hair around them. "Good morning, Diarmuid", Zoal greeted him. "Are you ready for your fight?" The knight nodded, a confident smirk upon his handsome features.

"I am. But", Diarmuid replied. "I thought Alo was supposed to be here this morning." Zoal nodded to him.

"She is; she's just with the other fighter. I was told to be the one watching over you", he explained. The Irishman nodded to his co-mentor, wondering who it was whom he was fighting. His thoughts were soon interrupted however when Zoal spoke up once more. "Now remember, try to use a weapon that trumps the one that your opponent is using. So, that means that if your opponent is using a sword, use either a lance or a sword breaker, if your opponent is using a lance, use an axe or a club, and if your opponent is using an axe, then use a sword or magic. All you really have to do is remember the weapon triangle. Although, there are some exceptions to it; you should know what to use in each situation." Diarmuid nodded. He did, in fact, know the weapon triangle and its exceptions like the back of his hand. "Alright, you still have about ten minutes till the battle starts. I can spar with you if you would like me to."

"That would be a great help. Thank you. I shall accept your offer." Zoal bobbed his head once more, picking up his axe and readying it to spar with the other man (who had chosen to fight with his duel-wielding swords). Taking the last ten minutes before the fight, the two then finished their sparring session, Zoal walking to the outside of the arena with Diarmuid walking to the inside of it. And it was then that the crowd finally cheered. The battle was going to start in the next moment.

Suddenly, the crowd's cheering got much louder, and Diarmuid could see his opponent walking into the arena, Alo following close behind but soon stopping beside where Zoal was located. His eyes widened, as he realized her it was. "Hello, Diarmuid. So, you are my opponent? What a surprise, I would have never guessed that we would be facing off against each other", the short girl told him from about twenty-five feet away, her own confident smile on her face. The male looked at her for a moment but shook himself out of the daze, letting out a cocky chuckle.

"Ha! I guess we'll finally be able to see who's the stronger one out of the two of us. Who, by the way, will be I who claims victory." Felicity laughed, as she readied the blade she held in her hand, the axe that was specially made for her by Alo. He had the advantage.

"We'll see about that. I may not look like much, but I have more strength than you think. So, don't get too cocky, Diarmuid." The male readied his swords. The two then heard footsteps coming from the east side of the coliseum. A familiar man, whom Diarmuid recognized as Bedivere, one of Arturia's most loyal warriors, walked between them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zoal and Alodine walking up the steps leading to the Royal Balcony.

"The rules are simple. Much like the weapons used for combat exercises, your weapons will not make actual cuts and will turn red once you are defeated. And as you two can see, there are many weapons hung along the outside wall of the arena. You may use them as you see fit. The personal weapons that you hold also cannot make any real wounds, for there is a magical field surrounding the arena as of now that doesn't allow it. That is all. The only other rules that apply are the rules of the battlefield. Well then with the rules explained, the match will begin once the gong sounds", Bedivere announced before walking back to where he was moments before. Only a second later was there the sound of the gong, telling them to start.

A flash of violet-red told Diarmuid that Felicity was running for the lances to her right and to his left. Wanting to make sure he continued to have the advantage, he ran towards her, putting the sword in his right hand back in its sheathe, soon catching up and blocking her from the weapons. She grunted, stopping herself before she ran into him. _He's fast_ , she thought to herself. _There's no other way. I have to fight my way to them. I should be good with an axe for right now._

To Diarmuid's surprise, Felicity charged at him, causing him to block with his left arm. And in that instant, he realized just how strong the girl was. After all the time he had spent training under Alo, Zoal, and Merlin, not once did he actually face Felicity in a sparring match. He knew her tactics but not her strength just as Felicity only knew Diarmuid's tactics but not anything else. Diarmuid had once even watched his 'training partner', as the younger female called it, defeat General Gawain, but he never would have expected the girl to be as strong as she was.

He was struggling to keep his left arm up. How was she overpowering him so easily? _She may be strong, but it seems like she forgot about my other sword._ Taking out the sword from its sheathe, he swung at her. And just as he had predicted, the swing had surprised her, and she moved back. He then took a risky glimpse toward the Royal Balcony. It looked as if everyone was watching him, the only exceptions being Ottoman and Alodine who seemed to be having a conversation.

 _Damn, I won't be able to get_ anywhere _as long as he's duel-wielding. I would grab a sword-breaker, but of course Alo chose to leave out sword-breakers, because she always wants to make things difficult! Ugh, maybe there's a bow or something around here._ Felicity looked in front of her, not wanting to allow Diarmuid a chance to hit her.

* * *

Cú watched the fight closely, concentrating on the tactics of Diarmuid's opponent. A sweet voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts, the sound coming from his right. "Do you think Diarmuid can win?" Jeanne questioned him. He shrugged, for he did not know the young girl's tactics. From the looks of it, she was most definitely strong, but strength alone was not what made a warrior. Strength was only one part of the equation. One could be the strongest warrior known to man and yet still be beaten by a much weaker warrior if he did not have the mind of one, and if he did not possess skill then there would be no way he would hit the enemy.

"Well, I am not entirely sure. The girl seems strong, but strength doesn't necessarily determine whether who's going to win and who's going to lose." Turning to her, Cú asked the maiden, "May I ask if you know who trained her? It may give me an idea of her strength and skill." She nodded her head and looked over to watch the fight as well. The familiar, loud clang of dueling weapons hitting each other rang in his ears. He may have not been in Ireland but just hearing the sound made him feel like he was back home. To most people, the sound frightened them, but to him it was like a lullaby one would sing to their child to help them get to sleep.

"She, like Diarmuid, was trained by Alo, which is the reason why I am worried that he will have to go through another month or two of training." Her guardian looked towards her, confusion and worry written on his face. He knew just how strong Alo was. He knew all of the stories that were spoken of her and passed throughout the seas and lands. Jeanne had told him many, many tales of her defeating the greatest of warriors, all without breaking a sweat. And judging by Diarmuid's newfound skills and tactics, she was no doubt a great mentor, and he had only been training under her for two months. The Frenchwoman then continued. "You see, Felicity had lost her family to bandits who had invaded her village. Once the bandits found her, they violated her, beating her and demanding her to give them every single thing that was in the house that was valuable, anything that could make them a pretty penny."

"How old was she when this happened?" the blue-haired Irishman questioned. He could tell that Jeanne's eyes were following the girl, who now held a bow in her hand.

"She was only nine. This was only five months before Alo, Zoal, Raven, and she arrived here in Britain", Jeanne answered. She hesitated before continuing. "They were about to kill her before Alo showed up and saved her. After the bandits retreated, Alo told Felicity that she was to stay by her side until she was strong enough to go out on her own or until she was strong enough to step foot on a battlefield."

"So, Felicity has been being trained under Alo for about seven years now?" His master nodded, as he saw Felicity grab a bow. Diarmuid was now had the disadvantage.

"She has trained every day for the past seven years. And, this is the first chance that she has ever been given to become a warrior, even though she has been qualified to become one for years now. I don't even think that she has ever lost a mock battle against anyone other than Arturia, Alo, Raven, and Zoal. So, she's not going to go down so easily, but I have high hopes that Diarmuid will be the one to end that winning streak."

"As do I", a deep feminine voice sounded from behind. "Hell, I'd be surprised if he didn't win this fight." Cú and Jeanne turned around only to see that it was Alo standing behind them. They watched her as she stopped in front of the railing of the balcony, arms crossed with her cape and hair blowing in the slight wind. "Unlike Felicity, Diarmuid controls his actions. He thinks before he acts. Felicity tends to forget the fact that if you don't think about your next movements, you will choose the most obvious path of action, which will be what your enemies will suspect. For example, she took the easiest course and started towards the lances to get the upper hand, a rather obvious move. So, Diarmuid made sure to block her from getting one."

"Oh? So, you think that Diarmuid has a better chance of claiming victory because of that?" Jeanne asked the red-eyed woman.

"Well, something like that, but there is still one more thing that gives Diarmuid the upper hand in this fight."

* * *

 _Damn, I'll need to grab a spear if I want to win. If she keeps on using that bow while I have my swords, there's no way I'll be able to defeat her. But if I grab a spear, I can use it as a throwing weapon instead of a close range weapon_ , Diarmuid thought to himself, backing up to grab one of the lances behind him. He kept his eyes on Felicity, sliding his blades back into his sheathe-belt and keeping a hand on one of the hilts. Reaching behind him, he felt the cold surface of a spear. Taking it, he let go of his sword and readied the lance before realizing that grabbing a lance was not a smart move on his part.

Within a split second, Felicity took a hold of her axe and charged at him, incredible strength and speed in the action. _Damn, how could I be so careless?_ He dashed out of the way before she could land a fatal blow. _Sorry, Felicity, but there's no way that I would allow you to win this battle_. Diarmuid took out a sword with his right hand. He saw Felicity stop in her tracks, grunting. If she tried to disarm one of his hands, then she would surely get killed by the other. Suddenly, an idea popped into the Irishman's head. Smirking, he relaxed his body, making it look like he was off guard. He remembered all of the times that he watched her get defeated. "Getting frustrated, Felicity?" he asked her, causing her veins to pop out a bit. "Come on; attack me already. Give me a good fight. Here, I'll make it a little more fair for you." He dropped the lance, backing up a bit.

"What the hell are you doing? If I attacked you, you would have been sure to win", she told him, gripping the hilt of her weapon tighter. Diarmuid chuckled.

"You are quite right, but since you knew that you would have waited for me to let down my guard. And anyway", he answered her. "I would like to make this a bit more _interesting_." He noted that he had started to sound like his elder brother. Felicity laughed, as he stopped himself.

"Getting a bit arrogant aren't you, Diarmuid?" she asked him.

"Of course not, arrogance can be the cause of death. But in all honesty, I'm a little surprised by the fact that you aren't the one who is arrogant." She tilted her head a bit, confused by what he was saying.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Squinting her eyes at him, it seemed that her blood was starting to boil.

"Don't you know? I mean, you seem pretty confident about yourself wearing those short skirts all the time", he spoke. He could see the steam starting to come out of her head. "Seriously, do you _want_ men to look up your skirt? One trip and someone's getting a full view." Diarmuid looked at her. Her hands gripped even tighter on her axe, knuckles becoming white. The girl may have been sturdy on the outside, but she had quite a fragile inside. _Almost_ , the raven-haired swordsman commented in his mind before continuing to mock his opponent. "Or maybe, that's already happened."

And, that was it. That was all the young axe-wielder could take. "Y-you...you pervert!" she screamed, finally charging after him with full speed – all of her strength packed into it. _Perfect._ Readying his blade, Diarmuid prepared to finish her off. _Remember, Dia, always stay cool in battle. Anger can make you become clumsy. It can make you become oblivious to all of your surroundings. It can be fatal_ ; his brother's words from years prior played in his mind, as he watched Felicity charge at him.

And within a moment, Diarmuid realized the truth behind Cú's words, for Felicity, who had been overcome by anger and frustration, had not even noticed the previously discarded lance that had been laying on the ground in front of her enemy. Her feet struggled in staying up before finally giving in to gravity and stumbling toward the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blade of a sword come across her neck before completely landing on the ground. "My apologies, Felicity, but I had to win this fight. No hard feelings", she heard her now former training partner tell her. She turned her head to her axe, which she had dropped when she fell. The blade was red. She had lost.

Soon, the cheers of the spectators could be heard loudly sounding throughout the arena. Diarmuid gave a helping hand to Felicity. "Are you going to stay down there all day, or would you rather stand up?" The young girl looked at him for a moment before laughing, finally understanding what he wanted to do.

"You amuse me, Dia! You truly amuse me!" she chuckled, taking his hand and standing up. He gave her a friendly smile before the two heard footsteps beside them. "You did well, both of you. And, congratulations on your victory, Diarmuid." The two looked into the red eyes of Alodine, as she complimented the two on their performance in battle. Behind her, it seemed that the ones watching were making their way out of the coliseum. "Felicity, you know what this means", she went on, turning to the red-violet haired female, who nodded in response.

"Yeah, I know; I know – at least two more months in training for me. Whoopee", Felicity cheered sarcastically, causing Alo to shake her head. Diarmuid chuckled before seeing everyone else who were placed on the Royal Balcony walking up to them, the first to approach him being Ottoman. The orange-haired male practically ran up to him.

"You were great, Diarmuid! That battle was so awesome! Congrats!" he exclaimed excitedly. The raven-haired Irishman smiled at him, looking into his flashy, light green eyes, with a small "thank you" before looking towards his brother who was standing beside Jeanne whose hand was wrapped around his left arm, offering him a warm smile. Smiling back, Cú's voice finally started.

"Congratulations, Dia. I'm proud of you", his brother told him with a calm voice. "Father would be proud of you." Yet another smile came from the elder sibling. Diarmuid caught a nod from the Frenchwoman beside him, a beautiful smirk on her face, looking happy enough to just start giggling. Hearing those words nearly brought tears of happiness to his eyes. It was one hell of a feat for Cú to mention how proud he was, but this was an even bigger one. Not once has he said anything about their father being proud of him since the funeral. He couldn't help but let a tear fall, as he grinned widely at the blue-haired male.

"Thanks, Cú", the man replied, earning a nod from him. Suddenly, he felt a light poke on the shoulder. Turning to look at who it was who touched him, he looked into the beautiful emeralds of the King, a gorgeous grin complementing her face. He smiled back at her before speaking. "I didn't disappoint, did I?" Diarmuid questioned her with a slight chuckle. The blonde giggled at his question.

"Of course not, Diarmuid. Quite the opposite actually. I was rather impressed by your performance. You will make a wonderful retainer", Arturia told him. His smile became wider, stretching from ear-to-ear. Bowing to the young ruler, he thanked her. Diarmuid then saw his liege turn to his now-former mentor as well as Cú's young maiden. "So, when shall we hold the ceremony?"she asked the two females, who glimpsed at each other.

"I honestly think it best if we hold off on it for two more weeks to a month, possibly even longer than that. Our first priority is to find out whether or not Liken and Katanta are going to be helping with fighting off the rebel army. The best way to know as soon as possible would be to invite them to the ceremony. Making alliances is a lot easier when the leaders meet face-to-face. It would save both time and confusion", Alodine suggested, soon earning an agreement from Jeanne.

"I think that would be a wonderful idea. I agree with Alo", the Frenchwoman chimed in. King Arturia nodded.

"I think that that would be best as well." Diarmuid tilted his head in confusion. He then spoke up.

"May I ask what ceremony you are speaking of?" The three women looked towards him. Arturia and Jeanne started to giggle while Alo simply looked at him. "Is there something amusing?" The two shook their heads before his master answered him.

"No, no, there is nothing amusing; I promise you. We are just speaking of the ceremony that will be held for you. You see, it is customary for the Royal Court to have a ceremony for all new retainers and guardians who are specifically assigned as personal bodyguards for any of the royal family members. It is a tradition that has been continuing for many, many generations of the royal lineage. Sometimes we also host feasts and balls for new recruits and generals, but those only happen before the new year begins. Those are also held for many knights as well. Your ceremony will be fully dedicated to you", she answered. "It is probably the greatest honor you can be given as a knight here in Britain, so a ceremony and ball are always held for anyone who is given the honor. The last one was held seven years ago for my father's retainer."

"Oh? Who was your father's retainer?" Diarmuid asked. Arturia gave him a smirk before looking at Zoal, who had made his way to Alo's side a few moments prior.

"Zoal was. His ceremony was a few months after he, Alo, and Felicity arrived here. Unfortunately, my father was a bit careless and ordered Zoal to not attend the battle in which he died during. But, Zoal was a very good retainer nonetheless. And, I know for sure you will be as well", the King responded, earning many nods of agreement from the group surrounding them. Diarmuid looked at her for a moment before offering a wide grin.

"Thank you. I promise I won't disappoint", the handsome warrior replied joyfully. Arturia returned the kind gesture before continuing.

"I know you won't", she started. "Well then, shall we get back to the castle?" Her green eyes pointed to the small crowd around them. Nods of agreement came from everyone before they started toward the castle, the only ones not to follow being Alo and Zoal. Diarmuid followed everyone, as the group entered the hallway that led to the castle before suddenly remembering something. He looked back to see where Ottoman had gone before finding him walking a little behind everybody else, looking rather happy. Slowing his pace to walk beside the green-eyed Likenian, the male was then walking beside the shorter one.

"Hey, I have a question for you", the raven-haired retainer spoke to the knight, who looked up at him with a bright smile.

"Yes?" Ottoman asked cheerfully.

"What were you and Alodine talking about during the battle? I saw her talking to you." Suddenly, the man smiled widely.

"You noticed that? Well, I was going to tell you later, but since you're wondering." The young warrior was nearly jumping with joy. He then continued. "Well since General Alo knew she was going to be losing a trainee, she wanted me to have that second trainee spot. So, tomorrow I'm going to be training with her and Zoal." Diarmuid's eyes widened with surprise and excitement. He never would have guessed that Ottoman would be chosen as one of Alodine's trainees. Suddenly, he let out a chuckle.

"Ottoman, I don't think that the reason is because she wants a second trainee", he replied, causing Ottoman to look up at him in confusion.

"You think it's because Gawain already has his hands full?" The expression on the shorter male's face became a bit blue. He looked down at the ground. Diarmuid quickly shook his head.

"No, no, of course not", the lancer stated, getting Ottoman's eyes to look up at him once more. "I know Alo doesn't just take on trainees like that. She'd make another general train them. Felicity told me about a month ago that she handpicks all of the warriors she chooses to train. She's only trained six people", Diarmuid explained. The one beside him tilted his head.

"Oh, really? Who's that?"

"Well, Felicity said that she trained Arturia, Jeanne, her, and me, but she doesn't know who the fifth and sixth one are. It was before Alo rescued her, so she wouldn't know", the Irishman informed the Likenian. "So, Ottoman, my friend, you're in the first ten. You took the seventh spot", he declared. Looking over at the yellow and black-clad man, he saw that his eyes were aimed towards the floor. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing", he shook his head. "I was just wondering why Alo would choose _me_ out of all people. I'm just an average knight. I don't even have any of my own personal skills _or_ special weapon. Like, you have your curse and your eye of the mind as well as your swords and lances. Cú has protection from arrows and Gáe Bolg. And, Zeon has his clairvoyance skill and my dad's old bow. I'm just a normal knight with a normal weapon." Diarmuid gave a reassuring look.

"Oh, come on, Ottoman. I bet you have at least _one_ personal skill. You just haven't found it yet", he told Ottoman who sighed.

"What kind of skill doesn't show up for twenty years?"

"I don't know. But hey, don't give up. I'm sure there's a skill that only you have. And even if you truly don't have one." The orange-haired male looked up at the one with the hair as black as the night. "That doesn't change the fact that Alo chose you as her trainee." Ottoman gave a smile before answering.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Dia", he replied. "Maybe I'll find my skill during my training." Diarmuid nodded in agreement. "I'll be right back. I have to go tell Zeon the good news." And with that, his friend made his way to his brown-haired brother whose mood seemed to have gone from happy to ecstatic right after Ottoman told him the news. Diarmuid then caught a glimpse of a tall figure to his right side.

"Ah, hello, Zoal", he greeted the man. Red eyes looked down at him.

"Hello, Diarmuid. Do you happen to know where Queen Guinevere is?" Zoal questioned him, earning a confused expression and a head shake from the handsome Irishman.

"No. May I ask why you are looking for her?" The wild-haired male nodded his head, facing forward. The man hesitated before speaking. At that moment, he reminded Diarmuid of a proud wolf for a reason unknown. He just seemed like one. Much like his brother, he was endlessly loyal to his master. He gave off a beastly aroma and seemed like he would never let his guard down and always stand tall, no matter what. He had to wonder how long it took for the soldiers who attacked him to get him into such a state as Alo described whenever she saved him. It surely must not have been easy.

"I was ordered to ask her something; that's all", the wolf-like male answered, earning a nod from the guardian. "You did a wonderful job in the arena by the way. Congratulations on your victory." Diarmuid thanked him, as they finally entered the castle. Zoal nodded to him before continuing. "Well then, I must excuse myself." With that, he started through the halls in search of the Queen. The lancer watched as he went, suddenly catching a glimpse of what seemed like fur underneath his long waist-cape. He decided to ignore it however before seeing the group then split up. A happy little wave came from Ottoman, as he walked towards the training room along with the other trainees for his last session with Gawain. Diarmuid waved back, as he followed behind his King along with Jeanne and Cú.

A knight, most likely a messenger, then came up to King Britain with a slight bow. "Your Highness, I am sorry for interrupting you. I bring a message from General Alo", he informed the short blonde, who smiled and nodded.

"It is alright, knight. What is the message?"

"There are a couple guests awaiting your arrival in the throne room." Arturia nodded to the messenger.

"Thank you for the information. I will go there immediately. You are excused."

With a nod, the knight replied, "Yes, Your Highness." He then left. "I wonder what this could be about." The female stated before starting to walk to the throne room. After their arrival, Diarmuid could see Arturia's eyes widen in surprise. In front of her, there were two royal-looking figures, guards and warriors surrounding them – a woman with black hair and yellow eyes and a young, teenage boy with brown hair and gray eyes. The woman smiled widely at her.

"Arturia, it's been forever since I have seen you!" the beauty exclaimed in excitement, running up to her friend and taking her hands in her own. "King Tybalt and I thought it best if we just came here to speak with you about creating an alliance." Arturia chuckled. Diarmuid looked at the yellow-eyed female, realizing that she was none other than the Queen of Liken, Likenia.

"How ironic, I was just going to send you an invitation to the ceremony. It would have given us the chance to meet in private terms."

"Ceremony?" The Queen made a baffled expression. "What kind of ceremony?"

"The ceremony for my new retainer. He just won his fight today", the petite King answered, turning her head towards Diarmuid, who gave a soft, welcoming smile. "This is Diarmuid, my new retainer."

"It is lovely to make your acquaintance", he bowed. The gorgeous woman grinned at him, giving a small curtsy of her long, beautiful dress. She then looked toward his King once more.

"He is very handsome, and I have no doubt that he will be an outstanding retainer." Looking toward him, she saw him give a nod of thanks. Her eyes traveled to Jeanne. "Oh? I did not even notice you, Miss Jeanne. You look beautiful as always. And, there is no mistaking your beautiful face, dear. You must be Cú Chulainn Ua Duibhne. It is an honor to meet such a renowned warrior such as yourself." Cú smiled.

"Please, Your Highness. The honor is all mine", he bowed. The Queen of Liken then turned towards Arturia.

"Well then, shall we make our arrangements? The sooner we get them done, the better." King Britain bobbed her head in agreement before telling the Queen and the other King to follow her. Diarmuid, Cú, and Jeanne were ordered to stay behind until they were finished. They saw the three enter a nearby room, the door closing and locking behind them.

It was a while before the three of them came out again, the knights simply making small talk as they waited. They saw a messenger making his way out of the throne room towards the outdoor training grounds before the sound of a door opening could be heard, Likenia and Arturia walking out with King Tybalt following close behind. The knights looked at the rulers. "Well then, I will have two generals take you to your rooms." Their eyes then went to the two figures who had just entered the room. Diarmuid noticed the Katantan knights staring at them, soon having smiles come across their faces. The two pairs of red eyes glimpsed at them before aiming back at the foreigners. They bowed to them. "Queen Likenia, King Tybalt, I would like you to meet two of my top generals, Alodine and Zoal. Queen Likenia, Alodine will show you where your room will be located, and, King Tybalt, you will be accompanied by Zoal." Likenia and Tybalt nodded before following their respective escorts.

"Ah, forgive me for being so rude. I will have Sir Gawain lead you to all of your rooms as well", Arturia stated to the knights. A Katantan knight shook his head.

"Do not stress yourself, Your Highness. We will be sleeping aboard the ship. There is no need for us to have rooms", he informed the King, who nodded reluctantly.

"Well then, you are free to do whatever it is that you please." The knights nodded, as they excused themselves. The room was quiet for a bit before Jeanne finally spoke up.

"Have you made a date for the ceremony yet?" Arturia smiled at the blonde with a bob of her head.

"It will be two weeks from today", she confirmed. Diarmuid looked down at her, noticing her baggy eyes and pale face. She looked rather tired, and it was only the tenth hour of the day. Her face was still beautiful, but Diarmuid would have much rather it look awake and kind like the first time he had met. _I can't believe it's been two months already, and I'm officially her retainer. Time seems to fly by like nothing_ , he thought to himself. Her emerald eyes looked at him. "Is something wrong?" The Irishman shook his head, sending himself out of his moment's daze.

"No, no, I was just noting how tired you look. Maybe it's best if you got some rest before returning to your duties as King. I'm sure the court would understand. It is no good to have a fatigued King", he replied. A light grin came from Arturia as she tried to tell him that there was nothing to worry about, but it seemed like Miss Jeanne would have none of that because she too spoke up about it.

"If you say that there's nothing to worry about and that your duties as King are much more important than your health, I will take matters into my own hands and drag you by the ear to your room and _make_ you get some rest", the short woman threatened.

"I'd listen to her. She's serious", Cú warned Arturia, who glanced at him with an amused grin.

"Look, Jeanne. I'm fine. I'll get some rest after- ah!" And with that, the King's ear was snatched by her best friend as she was pulled toward her room by the small Frenchwoman. "Ugh, fine, I'm going to my room, Jeanne! Let go of my ear!" Diarmuid started towards Arturia after saying a short goodbye to his brother. He approached the two females.

"Don't worry, Jeanne. I can escort her to her room", the lancer offered before seeing Jeanne drop her friend's ear. He could see a cute, little blush on his liege's face as she looked at him, not amused by the situation in which he had created.

"Thank you, Diarmuid. Please take good care of her. I'll be counting on you in doing so from now on, so don't let me down", she told him before turning around and walking toward Cú.

"This is all your fault", Arturia said, earning a chuckle from her guardian.

* * *

Jeanne ran up to Cú, grabbing his arm as they started to walk through the halls of the castle. She looked up at him, letting out a small giggle as she spotted a speck of red on his neck. He looked down at her with matching red eyes, confusion present in them. "You may want to hide that a little bit better. I see a little on your neck." Reaching up, she pulled his shirt up a bit to cover it up, not wanting anybody to see it. A blush came upon his face as he continued walking. The Frenchwoman heard the handsome Irishman sigh.

"Sometimes you're a pain the ass, you know that?" She giggled, seeing him look away, obviously embarrassed by her action. "Or maybe even all the time", the male added in a mumble. Jeanne squeezed his toned arm a little tighter, practically hugging it.

"Sorry, I just love teasing you", the woman stated. "Anyway, you should dance at Diarmuid's ceremony. There's always some kind of entertainment at the balls, so I think that it would be absolutely adorable if you were to dance." The Hound of Culainn smiled down at her with a shake of his head and rolling eyes. "Oh, come on, Cú! You're no fun! I've been wanting to see you perform ever since you told me about it! Come on. You'll do it, right? Just for me?" He laughed.

"I thought it was supposed to be for Dia."

"Mostly for me?" she fixed herself, staring up at him with big, sparkling eyes that she always used when she had to beg him for things. "I mean, I'm your adorable, little liege. All I want in the world is to see you dance...and to see you with your hair down but mostly dance."

"When did I say you were adorable?"

"This morning." She continued to stare at him with cute eyes that nobody could say no to. "Please?" she begged him. Cú bit his lower lip before sighing.

"We'll see." And with that, the petite female gave a wide grin, as she practically jumped in joy around him. _Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?_


End file.
